


Cat got your tongue?

by IcyTouch



Series: Colorfully Monochrome [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: BlackPanther!Haru, Childhood Friends, Cockblocking, Depression, Everything is awful, Falling In Love, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Jaguar!Rin, Job troubles, Lion!Kisumi, M/M, Madararui, Male Pregnancy, Shepherd!Sousuke, by Teddy™
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-05
Updated: 2019-03-29
Packaged: 2019-11-12 13:03:50
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 30,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18011423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyTouch/pseuds/IcyTouch
Summary: Rin's life is downhilling.With front flips and wheelies.He's a police officer in Tokyo, overworked and devastated after all of his attempts at romance have gone so horribly wrong that he can barely bring himself to get out of bed anymore. But then Haru shows up all of a sudden, Kisumi goes into labor and he's left to deal with his toddler godson and those confusing, newly awakened feelings for his childhood friend...





	1. Prologue: An old friend arrives

Do you know these days where everything seems to go wrong from the first step?

Rin Matsuoka knows them too.

Too well, he thinks sometimes.

Today has been such a day too.

First thing in the morning - he's slept through his alarm and now he's rushing to get to work. Sir James, the only thing left from the previous relationship with his ex-girlfriend Amanda, is constantly pawing at his bare feet and chasing after his tail, demanding his breakfast with high-pitched yowls. While simultaneously juggling his mug of coffee, a slice of toast and various articles of clothing, Rin almost trips over the giant red cat, stumbles in a desperate attempt to avoid stepping on Sir James' paws and slams his knee right against the edge of the kitchen counter in the process. When finally both, feline and owner, are fed and ready for the day, Rin quickly pats his companion on the head as a goodbye, which earns him a sharp hiss and three bleeding claw marks across the back of his hand. Spluttering curses and colorful expletives that would make mothers everywhere faint, the young jaguar dashes out of his flat with bristled fur and notices the empty left pocket of his jacket too late. 

Well, his phone will have to stay at home then.

He misses the bus by seconds and against the now accusing emptiness of his wallet, he orders a taxi so he'll be at work by ten. As expected, the first thing he hears while finally bursting into the police station is his boss yelling at him for being almost two hours late. He apologizes profusely, but the exasperated look on the elderly man's face tells him that he's on thin ice already. So he just quietly trudges off to his desk where two folders of reports are waiting to be filed already. Today's only office work, he can't mess up much doing that.

Wrong.

Somehow, his still sleepy brain makes him drop both folders at once, sending hundreds and hundreds of papers fluttering across the floor. His colleagues throw him short glances of sympathy as he slumps down over his desk, buries his face in both hands and his tail goes limp, then they all get up and start collecting the reports together. Once they're done, Rin mutters a quiet _"Thanks guys",_ resulting in a gentle pat to his shoulders from one of the other officers.

"No worries, Matsuoka. Always here to help", he offers with a soft smile before heading back to his own cubicle.

Now, filing and sorting the reports in alphabetical order is even harder, but Rin accepts his fate, determined to stop this terrible day from getting even worse by having to work overtime. When everyone else stands up to get lunch, some of his coworkers ask him to join them, but he smiles apologetically and tells them that he'll tag along some other time. They shrug it off and leave without him.

For a moment, Rin sits in his swivel chair, his shoulders slump forward slightly and he looks around the now almost empty police station.

He feels like the loneliest man on earth.

Anyway, he continues to dig through piles and piles of sheets almost feverishly, spends his whole lunch break fixing what he's messed up before. His colleagues file back in one by one at noon, sated and well-rested, chatting happily. One of his female coworkers, Mika, if he remembers her name correctly, places a cup with steaming hot coffee down on his desk and he lifts his head, surprised but immensely grateful and she winks at him before strutting back over to the front desk, her blond ponytail sways slightly as she walks.

Rin sighs, takes a sip of the bitter drink and goes back to work.

The sky slowly darkens, the street lights come on and he's still writing and filing and glancing over at the clock above the door, hoping the hands will finally show 7 pm so he can go back home, even though the thought of his silent, dark apartment isn't all too tempting.

But he shouldn't have worried about it.

While all of his coworkers start packing up and changing out of their uniforms, the chief leisurely strolled over to his desk and an apologizing frown spreads across the man's face.

"Matsuoka, this is the fourth time you've been late this month. I can't help but make you stay a little longer today. Would you mind going over the abandoned cases and sort out the ones who'll become time-barred soon?"

Rin opens his mouth, closes it again while his whole body cries out in despair. His back and wrist are aching, his neck is tense and his head is pounding in the exact same rhythm of his breaths. But he nods and swallows his complaints and stays late. Once again, he's alone and his eyes are stinging and burning, but not only from the much too bright lamp that illuminates his desk. It's way past 9 pm when suddenly, the phone on his desk rings and he picks up.

"Police station Tokyo, Officer Matsuoka speaking, how may I help you?", Rin asks tiredly, ready to write down whatever crime this person wants to report while his dotted tail curls around the chair's back.

But it's not a normal citizen.

"For God's sake, Rin!", a deep, familiar voice bellows. "You were supposed to be here _hours_ ago! I had to cancel my reservation at the restaurant, I was worrying my ass off about you, you didn't even answer any of my calls and texts! Are you _still_ at work?!"

Rin shrieks because now he remembers that he should've been at Sosuke's and Kisumi's place long ago, his ears flatten against his head.

"Sorry, sorry, I completely forgot to tell you!", he whines and tries to bite back the tears that threaten to slip from the corner of his eye. "I slept in and forgot my phone at home, was tardy and the boss made me stay late!"

Sosuke grumbles something under his breath.

"You could have at least called!", he complains. "Kisumi is upset because we couldn't spend the evening together and Teddy has been bawling his eyes out because we promised him you'd come over to watch him today."

The image of his godson flashes before Rin's inner eye and he groans before slamming his forehead into the tabletop - which doesn't exactly help with the pain that's already pulsing behind his temples.

"Oh no! Tell them both I'm so, so, _so_ sorry!"

Teddy Yamazaki - technically Theodore but nobody uses his real name, except when he's in trouble - rarely cries. He's such a bubbly, happy child that it always tears Rin's heart apart when he sees the toddler frown or cry. To think that he's the reason for one of those rare crying fits...

"Yeah, that won't fix anything. I thought I could count on you, at least on my anniversary. Now I've gotta deal with my pregnant, annoyed boyfriend and my crying toddler", Sosuke states dryly. "You know, Kisumi and I rarely get to spend time away from Teddy and work, so I really wanted to treat him to a nice evening out together. But of course, Rin Matsuoka is too busy to watch his godson once a year. Thanks a lot."

"Sosuke, I-"

_Click._

The line is dead.

Rin stares at the receiver with a mixture of despair and guilt, his stomach churns and he feels nauseous.

"I'm sorry", he whispers into the silence before slowly curling his tail around his waist and closing his eyes.

He stays like that for a long time before he decides to head home. The walk back lasts even longer than usual because someone has replaced his blood with lead and he can barely walk when the bag he's carrying rests so heavy on his shoulder, weighing him down even more.

_Why do I always mess things up? Why can't I ever do something right? Why?_

The city is never dark.

Colorful lights dance across his skin as he walks the crowded streets alone. There are millions of people around him, yet it feels like he's a ghost among their faceless figures, unable to be recognized by anyone. He's probably being overly dramatic again right now, he tries to tell himself. It's actually not that horrible, he tries to tell himself. He's just having a bad day, he tries to tell himself.

 _There's nothing but bad days anymore,_ a tiny voice in his head whispers back and somehow, he knows that it's right.

With a deep, heavy sigh, he stops in front of his apartment building and slowly enters the staircase. His flat is only on the third floor, luckily, and so he drags himself up those six flights of stairs that make his lungs ache and his muscles strain but finally, he's in front of his apartment door, unlocks it and takes a step inside.

That's when he notices that something is off.

A faint glow comes from the end of the hallway where the kitchen is and his living room that's directly joined to the foyer is lit with warm light from the large floor lamp on the other side of the couch. He looks around suspiciously. Has he left the lights on in his rush this morning? Suddenly, there's a soft sound, like someone is padding across the tiled kitchen floor in nothing but socks. Rin tenses up and clenches his fists, ready to fight any possible intruder.

The kitchen door has been ajar, but now it opens wide and a whiff of something delicious hits Rin, something... _familiar._

And then, said intruder appears in the hallway with an apron on and a purring Sir James on his arms, his jet black ears perked up attentively as he stands there and looks over at Rin.

"Okaeri. The table is set, go take a shower and come eat."

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

Rin is speechless.

For a short moment at least.

Then, he slowly takes a step forward like he's not sure if he's fantasizing or if there really is someone standing across the hallway.

"H-Haru?", he stutters in wonder. "What... what are you _doing_ here? Since when are you back in Tokyo? How did you get into my flat? And _why_ is that cursed devil sitting on your arm like a lapcat?"

The blackhaired man only sighs and gives him a short, soft glance before crouching down and releasing Sir James onto the floor, but the giant red cat begins to rub against his legs again seconds after, purring loudly.

"I returned two days ago and originally just wanted to stop by to say Hi. You weren't here, so I asked the neighbours if anyone had a key. A very friendly old man let me in. When you didn't return soon, I took a shower and started to prepare dinner. Figured you'd be glad about a hot meal", he responds, deadpan as always. "And don't call him that."

He runs the back of his hand over Sir James' head and the big cat starts to gently groom his palm in return. Rin lets his bag fall to the floor in exhaustion and groans, rolls his shoulders to loosen them up a little.

"If demons can possess cats, then the devil itself has chosen him as his feline vessel", he grumbles. "He hates me!"

Haru just shrugs and gets back up before reaching out one hand. Rin just wants to ask what he expects when the blackhaired man clicks his tongue impatiently.

"Jacket."

Hesitantly, the redhead hands his jacket over and the black panther tucks it away neatly before pointing towards the bathroom while he crinkles his nose.

"Shower."

After the harsh command, he turns around and heads back into the kitchen, leaving Rin to stare after him for a moment before his body complies without his agreement and when he comes to his senses again, he's already standing in the middle of the bathroom.

_Hold up a second._

Clearing his mind with a rough shake of his head, he spins on the spot and rushes back out and into the kitchen as well. Haru is standing by the cupboard with swaying tail, inspecting the various bowls, when suddenly, a warm weight slams into his back and strong but trembling arms encircle his waist from behind.

"Haru!", Rin whispers agitatedly. "Haru, you're here!"

Curving his eyebrows in visible confusion, the raven twists in Rin's embrace and turns to face his childhood friend.

"Yes, I am. Now, I told you to go take a shower. You look exhausted."

But instead, Rin just slumps down against his chest and takes deep, shaky breaths like he has to remind himself of Haru's scent and the younger man can't help but sigh and bring one hand up to gently stroke Rin's crimson red hair. He will probably never admit this, but it feels kind of nice. To just be held and to hold in return. He hasn't been around anyone he cares for lately and this simple, affectionate gesture is enough to fill his chest with warmth and the most tender feeling he's ever felt towards someone because Rin has just now realized that he's really here, that he's back from his world tour, that he's right _here,_ in his apartment, his kitchen, his arms. That he's here to stay for dinner and that they can talk and smile and look at eachother for as long as they want.

And Rin will never admit this either but he has missed Haru. Has missed his stoic face and calm voice and delicious cooking, his way of talking so easily, the way his touch feels, fleeting yet lingering like water. So he doesn't say anything out loud, just rests his head against Haru's chest and listens to the calming rhythm of his heartbeat. And as they stand there in the kitchen, just wrapped up in eachother's arms, the tears start to overflow and Rin sobs his heart and soul out as he slowly loses all power and sinks to his knees, but Haru doesn't let go and wraps his black tail around their waists until eventually, it's just the two of them, sitting on the kitchen floor while the redhead tries to wipe his wet cheeks but fails miserably and sobs even harder because _fuck,_ he's gotta look horrible right now.

"It's okay", Haru whispers against his ear and gently rocks him back and forth until Rin's crying is down to an occasional sniffle or a short gasp. "It's alright. You don't have to be ashamed. I know it's hard for you."

Because he really _does_ know. He hears it in Rin's voice during their rare phone calls, sees it in Rin's eyes that grow duller and duller in every photograph he sees of him, he knows that every _"I'm doing great!"_ is as fake as his smile but never before has he been able to provide some sort of comfort until now and Rin is curled up against him like a child after a nightmare as he gently shushes him until he's half asleep, dozing off again and again.

That's how they spend their first night together, on the floor of Rin's kitchen and it's uncomfortable and awkward but Haru doesn't mind because Rin looks so relaxed and happy that nothing else matters anyway.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you are not familiar with the Madararui, I will quickly explain for better understanding~ ɾ⚈▿⚈ɹ
> 
> 1) There's two kinds of people: Kakuen (Ape-men, people like you and me, have apes as ancestors and are normal all over) and Madararui (Zoo-men, people who have developed from wild animals like bears, cats, dogs, birds, reptiles, etc., they can control how they want to appear, i.e. with ears and tail or more animalistic).
> 
> 2) While Kakuen are very fertile, Madararui aren't as much. They're divided into light, middle and heavy levels, depending on their kind. Inugami (dogs) are the most popular Madararui, they're almost always light or middle level, that means they will fairly often produce offspring. Tengu (birds) though are a very heavy level and rarely get pregnant. Nekomata (cats) like Rin and Haru vary greatly. Big cats (like jaguars and panthers) are rarer and less fertile. Rin's a middle level and Haru is a heavy one because of his special colouring.
> 
> 3) Heavy levels are often expected to create a wide harem so they have a greater chance to find a compatible partner and thus can have more children. For this purpose, parties are hosted where parents offer their own kids as harem boys and girls for heavy level Madararui.
> 
> 4) Male pregnancies can happen when two males mate, using a parasite condom. Those condoms implant a womb in the receptive male's body and allow him to bear children. Teddy Yamazaki is the result of such a condom.
> 
> Thank you very very much for taking interest in my story and hopefully, you'll stick around for the next, more exciting chapter~ This is just the prologue~ ( ﾉ^ω^)ﾉﾟ
> 
> xoxo
> 
> (◕‿◕✿)


	2. Chapter 1: Complicated

"How long are you going to stay?", Rin asks quietly during dinner the next day.

Haru looks up from the bowl of stew he's made yesterday with a sigh after finding out that Rin - of course - has no mackerel to go with it and rests his free hand on Sir James, who's curled up in his lap.

"Longer than I intended", the black panther finally responds. "I'll leave when you're feeling better."

_Feeling better...?_

Stunned, Rin's eyes meet Haru's and the redhaired man furrows his brows.

"I'm perfectly fine! I'm not sick or anything, what happened yesterday...", a bright pink blush dusts his cheeks, "... w-was just... an a-accident."

Haru frowns in return and takes a small sip from his stew while the tip of his tail twitches.

"It was not. Rin, you're stressed out, you've been overworking yourself, all of your friends say they can barely or never reach you. That's what you call _perfectly fine?"_

Swallowing around the lump in his throat, Rin lowers his gaze and avoids to look back at Haru. His friend is right, he isn't fine. But just because he's having a bad episode doesn't mean that Haru has to stay here.

"Really", he mutters and plays with his chopsticks absent-mindedly. "The last few days... they haven't been the best, but I'm okay, I'll be better."

The raven just presses his lips together and turns his head to the side before sighing softly.

"Rin, you're not. You're not going to be okay. Not like this."

His voice is much softer than usual and Rin jerks his head up, staring at his friend with suspicion while his tail flicks irritatedly.

"What? Haru, you're being overly-"

"I'm not!", the blackhaired man snaps, interrupting Rin effectively. "Do you even know what's going on with you? Do you? You're barely eating, you're not going out anymore in your free time, the only people you interact with are Yamazaki and Kisumi, everyone else is turned down on the phone! You're slacking off at work, you do overtime because you can't finish your assignments in time, even your boss sees that something is wrong!"

He's breathing heavily, his fists are clenched, his black ears flattened and Sir James jumps from his lap with a disgruntled mewl when he senses the raven's agitation. Rin just bristles the dotted fur on his tail and succumbs to the anger that starts to rise within him.

"And how do you even know?", he yells back. "Are you stalking me or something? And why would you _care?_ Did you come back just to shove all my flaws into my face?"

Haru jolts at the accusation and the muscles on his neck strain, his pupils turn into thin slits.

"Why do I care?", he hisses. "I care because we're _friends,_ Rin! And get out of your self-pity, I didn't point out your flaws! This isn't you, this whole thing isn't you, this is not how you usually are! Rin Matsuoka isn't reserved and lazy and unwilling to spend time with his friends! Something makes you act like this, but it's not yourself!"

Gnashing his sharp teeth in frustration, Rin just turns away, crossing both arms in front of his chest.

"What are you trying to say?" he mutters quietly, all power to yell has left his body and he sighs. "I'm too tired for this."

Suddenly, there's a warm presence next to him and a hand is placed on his shoulder, lightly, reassuringly, while a sleek, black tail brushes his own.

"That's exactly what I'm talking about", Haru mutters and rests his forehead against Rin's shoulder. "You would've screamed at me if you were okay. You'd never let anyone talk about you like that."

Not lifting his head again, Rin stares at the floor beneath him. Once more, tears are stinging in his eyes, threatening to overflow. And suddenly, to his surprise, something soft presses against his hand. He flinches, stares at Sir James in confusion and shock.

This is the first time the giant red tomcat has approached him willingly for something else but food.

Now, he's purring softly and rubbing his head against his owner's palm with a gentle, almost cautious movement, like he wants to comfort him with his presence alone.

"See? He doesn't hate you", Haru whispers against his shoulder. "Nobody hates you, Rin."

A short tremor runs through the jaguar's body as he carefully scoops Sir James up and into his arms, staring down at the cat with teary eyes and his ears and tail droop. 

"Wrong", he chokes out through gritted teeth. "Sosuke hates me. I completely forgot that I promised to babysit Teddy for him on his and Kisumi's anniversary. And Amanda hated me. I was never on time for our dates and sometimes she waited hours for me to come home and have dinner with her, but when I was finally back, I was too tired to do anything but shower and go to bed. Nami hated me, too. I always pushed her away when she was trying to get closer to me because I felt like we were rushing things. And Shiina wasn't any better. I disappoint everyone. I can't make anyone happy."

Tears are dripping into Sir James' fur and Haru curls up even tighter against Rin's back in a helpless attempt to calm his friend down.

"That's not true. It wasn't your fault, all that was never your fault", he mutters. "You worked hard and tried to treat your girlfriends right. It's their fault for not appreciating those things."

But Rin isn't listening anymore. He looks down at his cat and sees red hair instead of fur and brown eyes, like drops of dark chocolate, freckles, twitching bunny ears and the most wonderful smile as he remembers the woman that has left him to deal with Sir James as she's stormed out of the flat with her bag slung over her shoulder, crying.

_"You can keep him, I don't care! I don't care about what you do with him, I don't care about you anymore!"_

Amanda is probably back in Sydney by now. They've been together for almost two years, but she hasn't been Rin's first heartbreak. Countless relationships have gone so horribly wrong for him that he's _sick_ of it, sick of investing all his spare time, emotions and commitment in another person that will eventually disappear from his life and leave him with a dark, looming shadow of guilt and loneliness that won't go away anymore. Those shadows that have been hovering over him for too long already now laugh, slowly creep onto his body, reach around his throat with gentle, ice cold claws and tighten their grip on him until he's choking on his own breath.

"Rin, it's alright", someone calls out desperately. "Stop crying, please, stop..."

The shadows shift and hiss at the person who's talking to him but they back off, let go of him and sink back into the floor, waiting for a weak moment, an opportunity to pounce and tackle him, drain him of all power left in his body and abandon him, laughing that obnoxious laughter.

But for now, they're banned.

Forced to wait again, cornered and trapped by that blinding light that envelops Haru like a silver halo and gradually also takes over on Rin until he's completely cut off from the darkness for a moment as they sit by the chabudai and lean against eachother.

"If you call this _'being perfectly fine',_ then I don't want to see you at your worst", Haru suddenly scoffs and hands Rin a tissue to wipe off the tears.

"Oh s-shut up", the redhaired man mutters, but there's the slightest hint of a smile on his face and his tail gently caresses Haru's hip and thigh.

It's rare for the black panther to tease and the rare moments where he does should be savoured and stored for later so they can be shoved down his throat as proof that yes, he has indeed a sense of humor. But just as Rin wants to bring it up, the doorbell rings. And it doesn't sound like the visitor is patient. In fact, they start banging against the door within seconds. Rin is about to climb to his feet and answer it, but Haru gently holds him down by his shoulder and gets up.

"I'll go, just stay here."

A heavy wave of gratefulness washes over him as he watches Haru leave the room because his eyes are probably all red and swollen from crying again and that's not how he would like to greet his visitors. Hopefully, it's just one of his neighbours, asking to borrow something. But as soon as he hears Haru open the front door, a hectic voice rings through the flat, joined by a scent of pure distress.

"Nanase? Fuck, I have no time for this, just... just... Oh my God, stop crying Teddy, I'll pick you up tomorrow! Tell Rin to look after him!"

That's... Sosuke? Now, Rin clambers to his feet and rushes into the hallway, just to see his best friend spin around and rush down the staircase again. The shepherd dog looks horrible, his dark hair is tousled, his shirt wrinkled and he's completely panicked with his tail between his legs.

"Sosuke!", Rin yells and leans over the railing, only to have his best friend perk his dark brown ears up and lift his head to look at him.

After shortly narrowing his eyes, Rin can see that Sosuke is trembling.

"Kisumi's going into labor, I've got to take him to the hospital! Watch over Teddy in the meantime, I'll call you!"

And with those words, he's out of the door. Rin is speechless. Kisumi... Kisumi is going into labor? It's almost a whole month early! And the pinkhaired lion is a heavy level too, it's his second child and even the doctors have tried to tell him that this pregnancy could turn out badly... The jaguar's throat is dry and his tounge feels heavy as he turns around with his fur standing on end. Haru is still waiting in the doorway, one hand awkwardly placed on the tiny, pinkhaired boy's shoulder who's rubbing his wet eyes with both hands, sobbing loudly.

"R-Rin-chan!", he wails in despair. "I don't want D-Dad to g-go! Why... why do I have to stay h-here?"

Immediately, Rin's instincts kick in and he kneels down before his godson, hugging him tightly against his chest.

"Hey, kitten!", he whispers and strokes the little boy's soft, twitching ears. "I know that this is very confusing and hard to understand, but your Daddies have to go to the hospital for a little bit. You know, Daddy has to be watched by the doctors when your little brother arrives so they can make sure he's healthy enough to go home soon."

Teddy is still crying as he hides is face against Rin's shoulder and his tiny claws dig into the redhaired man's shirt.

"B-But when c-can I see them again?", he mewls and Rin stares ahead blankly because _I don't know, sweetheart, I don't know..._

"Rin."

A calm, firm voice attracts his attention and he lifts his head to shoot Haru a distraught, quizzical glance. The black panther nods towards the kitchen.

"Come on, let's take him inside", he mutters and brushes his fingertips over Rin's arm.

_Right._

Picking up the little boy, Rin wipes the tears from Teddy's chubby, reddened cheeks and kisses his forehead.

"We're having dinner right now", he explains softly while carrying his godson down the hallway. "I'll get you something to eat, alright? What do you want to drink?"

Sniffling and batting his short, golden tail against Rin's wrist, Teddy rubs his eyes once more, but he doesn't cry anymore.

"H-Hot chocolate. Please."

The jaguar forces another smile and rummages through the cupboard, still gently rocking the toddler on his arm.

"Of course. Do you want your lion cup? Or a big one? So you can have lots of chocolate?"

That cracks the first smile Haru sees on the pinkhaired little boy who looks so much like Kisumi but has Sosuke's turquoise eyes and he nods his head violently.

"Y-Yes, a big one", he mewls happily and all tears seem to be forgotten.

Rin picks a beautifully ornamented cup from the shelf and turns to look at Haru.

"Would you mind heating up some milk?", the jaguar asks quietly and only now, Teddy seems to notice the tall, black cat behind them.

His sudden shriek startles both, Rin and Haru, their fur bristles and their tails stiffen out of reflex.

"Teddy!", Rin scolds softly. "That's just Haru, you don't need to be scared of him!"

The tiny boy pushes his face into the jaguar's shoulder once more, not responding. He trembles violently and while Haru does as Rin has asked of him, he notices the toddler carefully peeking over from his safe spot on his godfather's arm. Sighing, the black panther turns back to the stove while Rin wanders around the kitchen, gathering everything Teddy asks for and chit-chatting happily like nothing has ever happened, occasionally even earning a giggle or laugh from the boy. But as soon as his teal eyes meet Haru's tensed form on the opposite side of the room, his expression turns serious again.

Haru is not very good with shy children.

Ren and Ran have always been excited to see him because Makoto has introduced him as his best friend and he's grown up with them, often helping to babysit and watch over the lively twins. But Teddy doesn't laugh and hug his leg or tries to climb into his lap like Ren and Ran. He even seems to be frightened. And now, he leans up to tug at Rin's ear, whispering something to him. The redhead listenes closely, then he chuckles and this time, it's genuine. What Haru doesn't understand is the deep blush that suddenly dusts his cheeks.

"No, Teddy. Haru is an old friend of mine. We have known eachother for very long already and he's just here to visit", the jaguar explains patiently and his ruby red eyes flicker over to Haru for a second - just a second, not longer - then he proceeds to avert his gaze again and settle Teddy down by the table.

While Haru hands Rin the milk, he turns his body halfway and suddenly jumps, freaked out by the feeling of tiny hands on his tail. A deep, threatening hiss escapes him before he can stop it and Rin is by his side the second it's audible, grabbing Teddy's wrists.

"Kitten, let go!"

But the little boy is frozen in fear at the sight of Haru's slitted blue eyes and bared fangs and after a short moment of shock, he starts crying again. Even louder this time. Rin groans in exasperation and picks him up, gently rubbing circles into his back to calm the kid down.

"It's okay, Haru didn't want to scare you", he mutters quietly. "You just startled him, that's all. Shush now, stop crying."

Teddy sniffles one last time, wipes his nose on his sleeve and curls up even tighter against Rin's chest with wide eyes.

"D-Daddy never gets angry", he whispers. "Daddy _n-never_ hisses at me. I want to go home, Rin-chan!"

The jaguar sighs and sits down by the table, cross-legged like always before he looks up to Haru, still cradling his godson.

"What is it? Aren't you going to finish dinner with us?"

His friend looks to the side with a blank expression before slowly lifting his head and Rin notices that his black tail is twisted around his thigh as if he wants to protect it.

"I'll take a bath while you two eat", he responds curtly and vanishes down the hallway.

Rin droops his ears worriedly. Why is Haru acting so distant all of a sudden? Is it just because Teddy has grabbed his tail? He's still a kit, he can't help it! Kisumi and Rin are used to either let the lion cub play with their swaying tails or tuck them away when they want their peace from him, so they don't mind as much when he grabs them a little too roughly, but Haru might be sensitive to having his tail touched by a kitten. After all, most of the year he's on his travels with the Olympic team and there are only adults at the training camps...

"What is he?", Teddy suddenly whispers, pulling on Rin's sleeve. "A cat?"

The jaguar looks down at him in surprise, then he shakes his head and throws another glance at the door Haru has just passed.

"He's a black panther."

The turquoise eyes of the toddler follow his gaze and his expression turns from intimidated to curious instead.

"What's that?", he asks eagerly.

Rin stares back at him with slightly parted lips as he tries to figure out _how exactly_ he should describe melanistic color variation to a four year old kid.

"It's a big, wild cat just like me and Daddy", he finally manages to explain. "Haru is a jaguar too, but he has a rare condition that makes his fur black. That's why they call it a black panther."

His godson looks like he's just explained the meaning of life to him, so overwhelmed and impressed that it makes Rin want to laugh out loud at the sweet, childish excitement.

"He is really pretty, don't you think, Rin-chan?", Teddy asks all of a sudden as he too stares after Haru and his godfather takes in a sharp breath.

Has this four year old boy just called his childhood friend pretty? Well, technically he's not wrong, Rin guesses, Haru _is_ an attractive man and probably one of the most sought-after athletes in Japan. He must've gotten so many offers from families to mate with their children...

Suddenly, Rin wonders if Haru has a partner already. Maybe back in Iwatobi, maybe even here in Tokyo or somewhere around the world in a country he's visited. Maybe he's back here to visit some of the parties the Madararui community regularly hosts, looking for a girl to mate with. Rin can't imagine that Haru wants to create a harem, he knows his friend as a solitary person, but he's a heavy level male, beautiful, famous, strong and over all just a honest, caring man. If he really wants to find a woman to bear his children, he will have no trouble.

"Not all people think like that about other men, Teddy", he finally sighs when his mind returns to the present and he reaches over the table to hand the toddler his cup of hot chocolate. "There are also boys who only think girls are pretty."

The small boy reaches around the mug with both hands and takes a big sip, leaving him with chocolate smeared around his mouth.

"Why? Do you think that too, Rin-chan?", he asks curiously.

"I..."

The young jaguar is at a loss for words. Oh, now Teddy is even making him justify his sexuality? But on the other hand... It's actually not a dumb question. He has just always assumed that that's what his life is going to be like. Graduate from college, get a job, marry a sweet girl, have children and live his life like any normal person, unaffected by his middle level status. Now, though, it feels like he's discovered another possibility. Another path he could decide to try. Another form of love.

"Rin-chan?"

Teddy is looking up at him with his beautiful big eyes and his golden ears twitch softly, jerking Rin out of his trance and the redhaired man swiftly shakes his head.

"I... I don't really know, Teddy. This is all very complicated."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really enjoy writing Rin as a godfather because he'd be the most loving and protective guy ever, he'd be the cool uncle who plays fetch with you and gives you piggyback rides and buys you really great presents that are too expensive and lets you have ice cream for breakfast. Ugh I just love Rin so much~ (๑★ .̫ ★๑)
> 
> Thanks so much for reading, I hope you have a nice morning/day/evening/night~! (๑>ᴗ<๑)
> 
> xoxo
> 
> (◕‿◕✿)


	3. Chapter 2: Playfight

They finish dinner and when Rin sees Teddy yawn and rub his eyes, he smiles.

"Are you tired, kitten? For God's sake, did Dad wake you during your afternoon nap?"

The boy gives him a sleepy glance and flops down right on the spot, digging his claws into the tatami mat beneath him.

"I don't know", he mutters. "I woke up because Daddy cried and then Dad came and got me out of bed. He said to get dressed very fast and that we needed to hurry now. Daddy was looking very sick."

Rin swallows dryly and his thoughts wander off to his two best friends. Sosuke is probably pacing up and down a white corridor or he's by Kisumi's side, holding his hand and telling him that he's doing great and that it's going to be over soon. This second child has been a bad idea altogether. It's harsh on the two of them, Rin knows how desperately they want another kid, but male pregnancies are always risky and Kisumi has been so weak after his first one...

He exhales softly, gathers Teddy up and carries him down to his bedroom to let him sleep - it's almost ten in the evening, way past bedtime.

"I'm sure the doctors are taking very good care of Daddy", he assures his godson in a calm tone while tucking him into bed. "And when your baby brother's there, I'll take you to the hospital to see him, alright?"

The lion cub is already half asleep when Rin pulls the blanket over his body and nuzzles his ears in an affectionate gesture, nipping at them to make the boy giggle. Teddy is ticklish and Rin knows it - it's a game they've played as long as they both can remember. But just as he straightens his back and wants to close the curtains so the morning light won't pour in too brightly the next day, the pinkhaired boy sits bolt upright in bed again.

"Where is Iruka-chan?", he cries out desperately.

Rin turns around with a look of terror on his face. Iruka-chan is Teddy's favourite stuffed animal, a blue dolphin Rin has gotten for him as his first toy; he's brought it as a gift to the hospital, sending Sosuke to the floor with laughter, and it's probably the only thing that can make the lion cub sleep. No matter where or what time it is - as soon as he's comfortable with the dolphin in his arms, he's fast asleep. But without it? No chance to get him to lay down for more than a few minutes. Rin's thoughts are _racing_ in an attempt to figure out how he'll get his godson to sleep without the damn toy.

"Where is he?", Teddy wails again, staring up at the jaguar with teary eyes.

Rin is seriously pondering to go over to Sosuke's and Kisumi's flat because if Teddy is going to stay here for more than one night, it would be better to get the dolphin toy sooner than later. Still, Sosuke can call any minute and tell him that the baby is there and that he's coming to pick Teddy up.

"Hey, kitten", he sighs softly and strokes his godson's hair. "Don't you think you can sleep without him for a little while? You're such a big boy already."

But the lion cub just starts to whine quietly, a sound that makes Rin's chest ache with the instinct to protect him, to fix what's wrong and comfort him.

"B-But... Rin-chan!"

Just as the young man is about to answer, the phone rings as if on cue. Rin gives a last, quick stroke to Teddy's ears, then he jumps to his feet and rushes out of the room, hoping it's Sosuke with some good news. His hand trembles as he picks up his mobile phone, seeing that the caller ID indeed reads Sosuke's name. All kinds of scenarios are tumbling through his mind, mostly ones where his best friend is calling him with a wide grin and his newly born, healthy baby boy on his free arm, sitting by the side of a sleeping Kisumi's bed, but there are also darker ones. Sosuke, completely devastated because something has gone terribly wrong. Sosuke, crying because he's lost either his son or the love of his life to birth complications.

Yet when his best friend calls his name over the phone, he doesn't seem neither happy nor sad, just insanely hectic and tired.

"Rin, thank God! How's Teddy?", he blurts out immediately.

"G-Good", the redhead answers, confused. "What about you and Kisu-"

"Listen, do you mind if I stay the night here at the hospital?", Sosuke interrupts him. "The doctors have paused everything to run dozens of tests, Kisumi doesn't want me to leave. Can you handle Teddy for a few days?"

_Oh._

Rin furrows his brows but agrees to take care of his godson as long as needed. Upon hearing his hesitant _"Yeah, I guess...",_ Sosuke grits out a quick _"Thanks man"_ and the line goes silent again. The young jaguar groans in exaustion and if it weren't for Teddy, he would crawl into bed and sleep the day away like he's grown used to do over the last few months. Now he has to run over to Sosuke's flat to get that stupid toy, otherwise, Teddy will never-

His dotted ears flick backwards when he notices something and listens attentively.

Teddy... isn't whining anymore.

Curious as to why this is, Rin strides back down the hallway and peeks inside his room, hoping the toddler has fallen asleep in the meantime, even though it's unlikely. What he sees instead makes him cover his mouth and nose and retreat slightly so he won't disturb.

Teddy is curled up under the blankets, fascinatedly listening to Haru's soft voice that's obviously starting to lull him to sleep.

"- so he really needed to go because his best friend, Same-chan, is very sick. But he said I should tell you that he loves you a lot and that he'll surely be back in a few days", the black panther mutters while readjusting the fluffy blankets around Teddy.

"Where does Same-chan live?", the little boy asks sleepily. "And what does he look like? What's wrong with him? And how does he know Iruka-chan?"

To Rin's surprise and joy, Haru even chuckles at the lion cub.

"Same-chan lives far out in the ocean, near Australia", he explains with a soft smile. "He's a red shark boy with a white belly and very strong teeth and fins. A few days ago, he wasn't feeling well and sent a letter to Iruka-chan to come visit for a bit. They've known eachother for a long, long time already. One day, when Iruka-chan was just swimming around for a little bit, he bumped into Same-chan. He didn't want to talk to him at first because he thought a shark and a dolphin mustn't like eachother, but when he got to know Same-chan a little better, they started to become friends. Then, you came and Iruka-chan loved you so much that he said Goodbye to Same-chan and went to live with you. But now, he has to go and care for his best friend for a little while. He left yesterday night while you were asleep so you wouldn't be sad. Don't worry, he'll come back in a few days."

Teddy yawns, showing off his tiny fangs, curls his tail around himself and closes his eyes.

"I'll wait for him", he whispers, half asleep. "And I hope... I hope Same-chan gets better soon."

With that, he's off to dream about sharks and dolphins and the deep ocean that parts Japan and Australia. Haru sighs, gets up quietly and walks towards the door, only to find Rin leaning against the wall next to it with crossed arms a weak smile.

"Iruka and Same, eh?"

The raven scoffs and closes the door as gentle as possible.

"It was the first thing that came to my mind", he answers, voice unchanging as always.

He wants to push past Rin, but the jaguar catches his arm and holds him back, making his sleek tail lash irritatedly. For a moment, the two cats just stare at eachother, then Rin eases his grip and his eyes flicker to the ground.

"Do you... do you really think I'm sick?"

Silence.

Then, Haru's expression softens and he turns to face the other man fully while his round ears curve forward.

"I think you're not alright", he responds quietly. "Depression can't be healthy, not when it makes you act like this."

A beautifully spotted tail wraps around the base of his black one instinctively and Rin lowers his head even further.

"It... it just feels like I'm a complete failure. And I'm always alone. No matter what I do or how hard I try, I always end up alone after all."

He doesn't cry. He doesn't even want to. He is just tired and done with the world. But then, a slender, gentle hand tilts his chin back up, brushes over his cheek and through his crimson red hair.

"You're not alone, silly", Haru mutters, the corner of his lips twitches. "You've got Yamazaki and Kisumi, a godson who adores you and soon you'll have a second one. You have Makoto, Nagisa, Rei, Momo, Ai and Seijuro just a call away. You have Gou and your mother back in Iwatobi. You have Russel and Lori in Australia. You're _not_ alone."

 _And you have me,_ he adds silently.

Rin sighs and slowly uncurls his tail from Haru, blushing slightly when he notices how close they've been.

"Well, whatever. I think you know where the guest room is, I'll sleep on the couch."

"No", Haru protests and shakes his head. "This is your apartment. I'm the one who showed up all of a sudden without even telling you. I'll take the couch."

Again, Rin bristles his fur and clicks his tounge in annoyance.

"Don't fight me on this! You said it yourself, it's _my_ apartment so _I_ get to decide on who sleeps where."

Deep blue eyes stare back at him with a silent accusation, but Haru doesn't say anything after that - he just relaxes his tensed muscles and then closes his eyes in defeat. 

"Let's not argue", he sighs. "Do you want to go to sleep or stay up for a little longer?"

Rin turns his head and looks towards the living room.

"Let's watch some TV, just in case Teddy wakes up again", he suggests tiredly.

Haru nods and they make their way over to the grey couch, each curling up on one side while the jaguar switches on the TV across the room and lets Haru choose the program. Eventually, they settle on a police documentary about mysterious cases, get comfortable and start watching in silence. Half an hour must've passed already when Rin suddenly feels silky fur against his bare forearm and smiles at the pleasant sensation.

"What is it?", he asks softly, not taking his eyes off of the TV once.

Haru shifts, the pillows rustle slightly, then a warm weight settles into Rin's side and slender fingers start drawing patterns on his arm. The jaguar tenses up. It's the first time since God knows how long that someone has been this close to him except for Teddy. Sure, he shares occasional hugs with Sosuke and Kisumi or Gou when she visits, but that's pretty much it, and besides, Kisumi is the only other cat he knows in Tokyo. Lions are highly sociable creatures, but if he would ever dare to respond to Kisumi's affectionate gestures, Sosuke would probably rip him apart. Having Haru curled up against his body in such an intimate way is a complete shock to him.

"H-Hey", he mutters embarrassedly and pushes one palm against the black panther's shoulder. "H-Haru, what are you doing..."

Glancing up at him from beneath his long, black lashes, Haru scowls slightly.

"I want you to sleep in your bed tonight", he demands. "And if you don't want me to stay on the couch, I'll sleep there too."

Rin feels his cheeks heating up from the sudden suggestion and continues to try and push his friend further away from him.

"You're talking bullshit, right? Why would we sleep in one bed when I can easily take the couch, that's no-"

"We used to sleep in one bed as kids too", Haru interrupts briskly. "It's not any different."

Gritting his teeth, completely mortified, the young jaguar lashes his tail against the couch cushioning.

 _"Of course_ it's different!", he hisses back, not wanting to raise his voice and wake Teddy. "We're grown men now, not children anymore! What are you _saying,_ Haru?"

The raven sighs, settles back down and doesn't answer, but continues his light caresses on Rin's arm. Deciding to stop the argument there, the redhaired man goes back to their show too. Until suddenly, his neck, tail and ears start tingling, his back arches instinctively and a deep, feral sound pushes from his throat - a sound he hasn't heard from himself in ages.

He's... _purring._

And Haru reciprocates, brushes his fingertips over the sensitive skin on the jaguar's wrist, watches the fur on Rin's tail fluff out and wraps his arm around the other cat's waist from behind.

"Do you like this?", he mutters in a soft tone before nuzzling the neck of his friend. "You sound so sweet when you're purring..."

Rin gasps breathlessly, drops his head forward to give Haru more space and feels the raven's hand move up his arm, over his back and to his nape to gently scratch it. The low vibration in the jaguar's chest increases, gradually takes over onto his abdomen and he curls up tightly around Haru's arm as if to hold onto it.

"S-Stop, what... nhh... d-don't do that!"

He tries to reach one hand back so he can grab his friend's wrist and pull it away, but his muscles obviously aren't in any mood to cooperate: all he manages is a weak attempt to tug at Haru's sleeve. The black panther lets out a soft breath against the sensitive skin before him and moves up to the redhaired man's ears instead, sliding his rough tounge over the twitching bundles of spotted golden fur.

"Haru!", Rin cries out in shock and begins to seriously struggle now. "What are y-you doing?!"

For a short moment, the raven looks down at him with a quizzical expression, then he curves his ears forward in amusement.

"I'm grooming you", he responds calmly. "That's what cats do, Rin, remember? It strenghtens social bonds and helps us to relax if someone else does it for us."

At his straightforward answer, Rin's blush deepens even more and he hides his face in one of the pillows nearby.

"Still...", the jaguar mutters, embarrassedly. "It's... it's kind of weird when you just do it like that."

Haru's expression turns from amused to surprised, then he releases a soft, quiet chuckle, almost inaudible, but Rin's sensitive ears catch it with ease.

"Sorry", the blackhaired man whispers and returns to nuzzling his neck. "I should've asked first. But your fur is just so pretty..."

He licks his lips unconsciously and leans forward again to catch one of the adorably round ears between his fangs and nips at its edge. Rin yelps at the sudden attack and flinches away, but Haru's arm around his middle keeps him from falling off of the couch.

"N-No, Haru!", he whines desperately and tries to twist out of the black panther's hold again, his tail is bristles and his claws extend, readying for a fight.

But the raven just moves one leg to capture both of Rin's between his own and before the jaguar can even process what's happening, Haru is hovering over him with swaying tail and slitted eyes as he too starts to purr deeply.

"No? No _what?_ No more? You don't sound like you're not enjoying yourself."

Rin's breathing is ragged as he stares up at his friend and swallows around the lump in his throat. He's not uncomfortable. Haru's touch doesn't feel bad. He doesn't dread what's going to come next. If anything at all, he's agitated. Riled up from the sudden affection, but not in a bad way. More like...

_I want to play with Haru._

His pupils dilate, his tail stiffens, a low, soft growling sound escapes his throat, he pushes Haru over and with that, a playful fight breaks out. They're on the ground within seconds, all bites and scratches and pushes and shoves as they try to get the other on his back like two kittens scrapping over the last drop of milk. Until finally, Rin is trapped beneath Haru's warm body again and he laughs while the panther's lips twitch into a brief smile, his sleek, black tail encircles Rin's thigh.

That seems to bring them both back to their senses.

The jaguar looks up at him with wide eyes, his heart misses a few beats and his breath hitches in his throat, but he can't utter a single word as his eyes trace the outlines of Haru's rosy lips.

They just stare and wait and stare for a moment longer.

Then, as if drawn in by a magnet, Haru leans down and Rin closes his eyes, slowly, hesitantly. Their foreheads touch, their noses brush and just as their lips are about to collide-

"Rin-chan?"

The sleepy voice makes them jerk apart immediately, resulting in Rin accidentally slamming his head into the floor beneath him as he groans and quickly climbs to his feet while Haru turns his head to hide the soft blush on his cheeks. Teddy is standing in the living room door, rubbing his eyes.

"What is it, kitten?", Rin asks lovingly and scoops the little lion up in his arms, running one hand over the tiny, golden ears.

Teddy smiles weakly and rests his head against the redhead's shoulder, obviously very tired.

"I'm thirsty."

Rin throws a short glance over at Haru that sends his cheek reddening once more, then he carries Teddy over into the kitchen. While the boy drinks a glass of water and cuddles into his shirt a little tighter, his thoughts wander off to what has just happened in the living room. But once Teddy is back in bed and fast asleep again, Rin hears rustling from the end of the hallway and when he carefully sneaks a look, he sees Haru curled up on the couch with a blanket draped over his shoulders and closed eyes.

His bed has never felt as empty and cold as in this night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those who don't know: Iruka means dolphin while Same translates to shark~
> 
> Thank you so so much for reading as always and I'd be glad if you enjoyed it a little bit~! (⊙ꇴ⊙)
> 
> xoxo
> 
> (◕‿◕✿)


	4. Chapter 3: Nothing happened

"Rin..."

 

...

 

_Let me sleep._

 

"Hey, Rin."

 

...

_Not now._

 

"Rin!"

 

_Ouch!_

 

The jaguar bolts from his sleep with a ferocious hiss and Haru can barely dodge the extended claws aimed for his face. His own ears flatten in response, his black fur is standing on end as he growls back and bares his fangs defensively. Waking Rin up with a bite hasn't been the best of ideas, he admits while cautiously waiting for the redhead to calm down from a safe distance. Taking a few deep breaths, the jaguar straightens his fur out again and blinks up at Haru with a grumpy scowl.

"What do you want?", he mutters irritatedly and starts collecting his comforter, ready to roll over and fall asleep again, but the black panther is having none of it.

He grabs the edge of the blanket, tugs at it and tilts his head to the side.

"Get up", he urges. "We're going for a morning run, aren't we?"

Rin stares at him in disbelief while jerking the bedsheets out of his friend's grip to wrap them around himself again.

"A... run? Now? For God's sake, Haru, it's-"

His ruby red eyes wander over to his alarm clock that flashes 09:22, to his dismay. Now he hasn't even got an excuse to stay in bed, it's almost noon! But Haru doesn't seem to be upset about him having slept in, he just lashes his tail and perks his ears up.

"It's time for a morning run", he finishes Rin's sentence. "Now come on."

With a swift movement, the black panther has grabbed the blanket again and it ends up on the floor while Rin desperately tries to get it back.

"Haruuu, I'm cold!", he whines, hoping to hit the raven's soft spot as he flattens his ears against his head. "Let me sleep just a little bit longer, just ten more minutes..."

But Haru sticks to his plan and begins to drag the jaguar out of bed, towards the closet.

"No, we're going _now",_ he states firmly. "Get your track suit and running shoes."

Rin struggles against his grip, but he's still dizzy with sleep and Haru, who's probably up since God knows when, is relentless and determined to get him out for this stupid run.

"But... but what about Teddy?", the jaguar suddenly remembers while rubbing his face with one hand to wake up fully. "We... can't leave him alone here, he could hurt himself..."

"I made cereal for Teddy and put on some cartoons for him to watch, he'll be fine", Haru shoots back and starts digging through the redhead's clothes to look for something suitable for a run.

Once he gets across Rin's old tracksuit, he shoves it into his friend's arms and turns around, only to find the jaguar staring at him unsurely. Within seconds, his brows furrow.

"What's wrong?"

Rin sighs, looks down at the tracksuit, then back to Haru, like he's trying to put his thoughts into words.

"Yesterday...", he starts off hesitantly. "Are we... going to pretend it didn't happen?"

Ocean blue eyes flash with surprise for a moment, then the black panther turns his head to the side and grits his teeth.

"But nothing happened, right?", he asks monotonely in return, but his voice sounds forced, as if he has to convince himself to speak.

Rin scowls.

"Of course something happened!", he snaps. "We almost _kissed,_ Haru! And I don't know how it looked from your perspective, but I had the feeling you weren't entirely opposed either!"

The black panther suddenly turns around on the spot and starts to exit the room, leaving Rin behind with bared fangs and wide eyes.

"It was a playfight. Nothing more, nothing less."

His voice is so flat, so nonchalant, as if they have never been there on the living room floor, breathing heavily and gazing into eachother's eyes before Teddy has interrupted them. 

"Goddamnit, Haru! Don't walk out on me now!", Rin yells after his friend and reaches out one hand to grab Haru's wrist and hold him in place.

For a few moments, they stay like that, close enough to feel the other's breath on their skin if they focus. Then, Rin sighs and pulls back. His head is spinning, his palm tingles where he's been touching Haru.

"Don't... don't walk out on me too", he whispers in defeat while his tail goes limp.

Upon seeing the redhaired man so downcast, Haru drops the rejective stance and lowers his gaze too.

"I'm not going to leave, Rin", he assures quietly. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm right here and I'll stay."

A last brush of their tails accompanies his words, then he settles down on the bed and watches patiently as Rin throws on the tracksuit and some running shoes. Teddy is still happily munching on his bowl of cereal when they finally exit the bedroom and Rin leans over the back of the couch to give his godson a swift good-morning-kiss.

"Hey kitten, enjoying your show?", he asks absent-mindedly while adjusting his sleeves.

"Mhm!", the pinkhaired boy responds, mouth too stuffed for a real answer until he swallows. "Haru-chan put it on for me!"

Rin freezes.

_Haru-chan?_

He glances over at the black panther who's waiting by the front door in his running gear but frowns when he hears the nickname he's always despised.

"Haru", he corrects him impatiently. "Just Haru."

Teddy looks up in surprise and flattens his golden ears like he's been caught doing something forbidden.

"But... Dad says, first names without hon..."

He stops, furrows his brows in concentration and mouths the word to himself before hesitantly saying it out loud.

"Hono... honorifics... are just for best friends and people who love eachother very, very much. So much that they want to kiss all day."

Teddy grimaces in disgust and Rin can't help the laugh that's bubbling from his throat. It's the first time he's been laughing out loud in an unbearably long time and he has almost forgotten how good it feels.

"You hear that, Haru?", he asks in amusement. "He's being polite and you try to teach him bad manners. Kisumi wouldn't approve."

But the smile quickly vanishes from his face and gets replaced by a deep blush when Teddy peeks over the couch.

"Is Haru-chan your best friend?", he demands curiously. "But you always say Dad is your best friend. So... you love Haru-chan very much?"

Before Rin can even think of an appropriate answer, Haru takes over for him.

"Some people just don't like honorifics. They make names sound weird and I prefer mine without anything added to it. Rin, come on. We have to go."

His stern, blue eyes switch from Teddy back to the jaguar and he watches as Rin lectures his godson about not touching anything remotely dangerous while they're gone, writes down his phone number and tells Teddy to call anytime if he feels like he needs to. Then, he gives Haru a forced smile and walks past him, out of the flat and down the stairs.

"Where did you plan to go?", Rin asks casually once they're out on the street.

A heavy smell of oncoming rain is lingering in the air and while the two cats make their way downtown, into a certain direction, Haru shrugs.

"There's a park nearby, right? I thought we'd just go there."

His tone has changed into a much softer one again, like someone constantly flips a switch in his behaviour that only depends on if they're alone or not. Rin nods approvingly and takes a deep breath, ignoring all the glances that are cast their way.

"Okay. But I've got to warn you, I haven't been working out much lately."

He's not used to people staring - there aren't many Madararui in Tokyo and Kakuen mostly ignore them when they see one, but a pair of cats casually wandering the streets is definitely an eye-catcher, especially with the way Haru's deep black fur shines in contrast to his pale skin. Everything about him just looks so exotic and beautiful that even the children on a playground nearby stare at them in awe.

"Look, they're nekomata!", one of the mothers whispers to a woman next to her. "I've never seen just one before, but two of them together..."

Rin's ears curve to catch what the other woman responds and from the corner of his eye, he sees Haru do the same while both try to keep it as subtle as possible.

"They must be a couple! I've heard that the party hosted last weekend was a full success. My cousin, she's a dog, you know, said she's never seen so many people leave early. And just look how well they match! It's a shame though, the redhaired one is really cute."

She's whispering too, but both men can hear her clear as day and Rin notices how the black panther next to him moves his lips like he's about to bare his fangs and turn to hiss at her. So he quickly grabs Haru's wrist and pulls him past the chatting women, making their eyes widen when they see it.

"Haru, no!", he mutters urgently under his breath. "Stop, she didn't mean to-"

Too late.

The raven is furious, his glossy fur stands on end and his tail lashes violently as he stares the woman down with ice cold eyes from across the sidewalk. If it's scary for some people to just see a Madararui, it's even scarier to see an angry nekomata in the middle of Tokyo who looks like he's ready to tear your throat out.

"Come _on,_ Haru!", Rin demands with a hint of annoyance in his voice. "She didn't say it on purpose, okay?"

But before he can take another step away from the playing children and their mothers, Haru spins around and grabs his upper arm in return, so forcefully that Rin has to suppress a pained hiss.

"Do they talk about you a lot?", the black panther demands while his grip tightens and tightens. "Like _that?"_

"You're hurting me", Rin states casually and Haru flinches before immediately easing his hold.

It's like he's been in some sort of trance for a few seconds and has woken up now, but he just turns around and glares over at the gossiping women again.

"Let's go. We can't stay away for too long."

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

They've been running for quite some time now and Rin notices how much he's missed this - just working out with one of his friends, silent and comfortable. A light layer of sweat coats his skin and fur, but Haru is the same and Rin feels a strange surge of satisfaction when he realizes that he can still easily keep up with an Olympic athlete. As they reach the small pond in the park, they stop to catch their breath and stretch. Haru lifts his head and stares over at the rippling surface of the water with a longing expression, causing a small smile to sneak onto Rin's face.

"Do you miss training?", he asks softly while following Haru's gaze.

The black panther doesn't answer, but his eyes are glinting in the dim light that seeps through the darkening clouds and that's enough for Rin to understand. He leisurely strolls over to a bench near the waterside and sits down while Haru follows slowly.

"If you want to, we can go to the pool sometimes", the jaguar suggests as they relax by the pond and take a break from running. "It's been quite a while since I've been swimming."

Haru nods in response and leans against the back of the bench. For a few moments, they both just enjoy the serenity of the sight before them, then Rin shifts so he can look directly at his friend.

"Can I ask you something?"

His voice has adapted a more serious tone, causing the black panther to meet his gaze.

"Of course", he agrees.

Rin stares down at his hands and feels cold sweat running down his neck, but it has nothing to do with their workout.

"Did you really think of it as just... a playfight?", he mutters and his cheeks flare up once more while the sudden urge to explain himself becomes overwhelming. "I don't even know why I keep bringing this up, but I can't help it when you're acting so weird!"

He doesn't get an answer for quite some time and looking at Haru after saying this seems impossible, so he just continues to gaze at his palms and wait. Until he hears a low sigh and feels the raven move.

"Rin."

Upon hearing his name being called so calmly, he lifts his head and hesitantly glances over at Haru. The panther has turned to face him as well, his expression is stoic and unreadable as always.

"It was a game. We played. It's nothing else but something cats just do when they feel like it. What happened after that... I didn't intend to do it. And I'm sorry if it made you feel like I was forcing you into something."

Rin is left with a bitter feeling on his tounge, but he nods and accepts the answer. Just as he wants to suggest they go back, his phone beeps shortly and he digs it out of his pocket only to find a text from his neighbour, a young single mother who lives on the same floor.

_Rin-kun,_  
_just now after you and your friend left, a man in a black hoodie came up the stairs and walked over to your apartment door. When it wouldn't open, he fumbled with the lock and now he's inside. I can hear Theodore crying, but I'm too scared to go over and leave my kids alone. Should I call the police?_

The jaguar stares at the message for a second, his jaw goes slack and very slowly, like ice creeping through his veins, adrenaline starts filling him to the brim.

"Teddy!", he cries out, jumps to his feet and rushes off before Haru can even process what's going on.

"Rin, wait up!", he calls and follows suit.

They're rushing through the crowded streets at full speed, Rin feels his heart pounding against his ribs so hard that they're most likely going to be bruised. His throat aches, his lungs sting and his legs threaten to give out, but he doesn't slow down once. This is his godson, his sweet, adorable little kitten, and he's probably in danger, there's no way in hell anything or anyone can stop him now. Haru doesn't even try to find out what's happening, they just both sprint back the way they've come from earlier and finally, _finally,_ the apartment building comes into sight. Rin dashes past the front door and up the stairs, there's no time to wait for the elevator.

"Oh thank God, you're back!", a female voice greets them.

The young girl is pale and looks anxious, two children are hiding behind her legs. She's standing in a doorway near Rin's apartment and the redhaired man rushes over, reaches into his bag for the keys and unlocks the door.

"Teddy!", he screams, bursting into the foyer while Haru exchanges a few quick words with the young woman and then follows as fast as possible.

Rin looks around in panic, all kind of thoughts are rushing through his head. If someone has found out that Teddy is home alone, they could've easily gotten in to rape, or in the worst case, even kill him. He's growling, a feral sound that makes Haru flinch when he enters the apartment as well, the redhaired nekomata's whole body is trembling with fear and anger and his fangs are bared. One single look at him should tell every sane person to run and not look back if they don't want to be torn apart by a furious jaguar protecting his kitten.

"Teddy, where are you?"

The living room is empty, but by the time Rin bolts over to check the bedroom and guest room, someone exits the kitchen with firm, frantic steps.

"Rin?"

A familiar voice rings from the end of the hallway and almost immediately, the redhaired man stops dead in his tracks. Haru does too, and his ears even perk up while his fur slowly starts to straighten out, his tail sways gently from side to side. When Rin notices, he furrows his brows in confusion because this is _not_ how the black panther usually reacts to this person, but he doesn't question it. All he cares about is that Teddy is sitting on the person's arm, still a little shaky from crying but with a wide smile on his face.

"Rin-chan, look who came!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You guys are AWESOME! I've never had so many people commenting rather than leaving kudos and I want to thank MrWizard and Kkmonkey for keeping my motivation for this story up~ (⊙ꇴ⊙) Hearing you enjoy some of my crap fills me with endless joy (ಥ﹏ಥ)
> 
> Lots of love, kisses, hugs and cookies~
> 
> xoxo
> 
> (◕‿◕✿)


	5. Chapter 4: Nothing to lose

Sosuke looks exhausted.

Dark circles have formed under his turquoise eyes, he's pale as a ghost and even though it's not cold in the flat and he is wearing a thick, black hoodie, Rin can see that his best friend is trembling.

"You scared the living shit out of me", he whispers before stepping closer and taking Teddy from Sosuke's arm to hug him tightly. "My neighbour texted me, saying that someone she didn't recognize had entered my apartment and she'd heard Teddy cry."

Sosuke sighs, walks over to the couch to sit down for a moment and closes his eyes.

"Yeah, I wore my hood on the way up here so that's probably why", he mutters. "When Teddy saw me, he just started crying and wouldn't let go of me anymore, saying something about you having gone out for a run, that's why he's-"

He stops abruptly and suspiciously glances over at the redhaired jaguar.

"Wait, you actually _did_ go out? That's... You haven't been on a run since forever!"

Rin shrugs and gently tucks a few strands of bubblegum pink hair behind Teddy's ear, making the toddler giggle and flick his tail.

"Haru decided that it was time for me to start working out again", he answers with a smile and strolls over to the couch too, slumping down into the cushions.

Upon hearing the panther's name, Sosuke looks up and his expression softens remarkably.

"Really? Good to hear. How have you been, Ha- ... Nanase?"

Haru, who's currently taking off his shoes, even turns his ears forward and sways his tail in a welcoming gesture.

"Fine, thanks. It's nice to be back from Olympia", he states softly and pads across the foyer and towards the hallway. "I'll make some tea for us all."

Teddy begins to struggle against Rin's hold on him and climbs from the jaguar's lap to the floor.

"I'll help!", he mewls happily and rushes after Haru, who looks a little hesitant at the offer, but eventually nods and holds out one hand for Teddy to grab.

"Okay, let's go. I'm sure your Dad and Rin would like to talk for a bit."

Cheerfully bouncing down the hallway next to the black panther, Teddy starts rambling about a show he's seen earlier on TV and Rin turns to look at his best friend.

Sosuke has buried his face in both hands, his shoulders are shaking. To see the man who always makes fun of him for being such a crybaby so close to tears frightens Rin more than anything has ever done before.

"Hey", he chokes out in a desperate attempt to comfort Sosuke while scooting closer and brushing his tail against the shepherd's arm. "What's wrong? Is Kisumi alright?"

For a few moments, they just sit in silence and Rin starts to grow pale, hoping, _begging_ nothing has happened to Kisumi or the baby. But then, Sosuke leans back and takes a deep breath to swallow the tears back down.

"No, he's fine", he whispers. "They're both... fine. I just... I..."

He stops, obviously at a loss for words. His pointy ears are pressed flat against his dark hair, his bushy tail is tucked between his legs, unnervingly still. Rin is so used to always see his friend with perked up ears and wagging tail that this unusual image of complete immobility is making him nervous.

"It's just... Kisumi... he's so exhausted, he's in pain, he's crying, he's telling me to go look after Teddy but I don't want to leave him alone either and the doctors aren't of any help, they just run around and tell us that there are still results they're waiting for and that we should try to rest for a while, but how am I supposed to fucking _rest_ when my boyfriend is in so much _fucking_ pain that he's even too weak to keep his eyes open for more than a few seconds?"

Even though he grits his teeth and fists the fabric of his jeans to keep himself from crying, tears form in the corner of his eyes and threaten to slip down his cheek. Rin's tounge feels too heavy to speak, so he just curls up against Sosuke and waits until he's calmed down enough to talk again.

"They... they paused everything so they could continue their tests, but they can't give him anything against the pain - or at least, nothing helps."

He barks out a laugh - a dry, fake laugh, one Rin knows all too well.

"During Teddy's birth, I even told them I want as many tests as there are needed to make sure it goes as smooth as somehow possible. Now, I just want it to be over. Not because I'm tired or because I want to go home, I just want it to be over for Kisumi. Oh God, I should've never forced this second child onto him."

He slumps over again and this time, he starts sobbing for real. Rin, who's just gotten down from his former adrenaline rush, bolts forward and catches Sosuke's healthy shoulder, gently shaking it to get his best friend out of his breakdown.

"Sosuke, stop!", he hisses. "Don't... don't _say_ that! Kisumi wanted this child just as much as you did, so don't blame yourself for it!"

His eyes are trained on Sosuke's tear-stained face and he doesn't even notice the small figure that appears in the doorway, followed by a much larger person carrying a tray over to the coffee table.

"Dad, did you know about Iruka-chan's best friend?"

Teddy throws himself against his father's leg, wraps his tiny arms around it and laughs before he notices that something is wrong and looks up at Sosuke with a hesitant whisper.

"Dad...?"

And as if the voice of his son has magically gotten through to him, Sosuke wipes his face and takes a shaky breath before forcing a smile onto his lips and lifting Teddy into his lap.

"It's okay, I'm fine. So, what about Iruka-chan's best friend? I thought that was you?", he teases weakly and the pinkhaired boy giggles when Sosuke gently scratches his fluffy ears.

"Yeah, but Iruka-chan has another best friend who lives in Australia!", Teddy explains excitedly while Haru hands him the smallest cup. "His name is Same-chan and he's a red shark, he loves to swim and he's really, really strong! But lately he hasn't been feeling well so Iruka-chan went to visit him! Isn't that great? Haru-chan says he'll be back soon, so I'm not sad!"

The shepherd throws a short glance over at Haru, but the raven avoids his gaze and just smiles to himself.

"Really? That's amazing, you're such a big boy already", Sosuke mutters softly and kisses Teddy's forehead. "Do you mind staying with Rin-chan for a little bit longer? I need to go back to Daddy soon."

The lion cub looks back up at him with wide eyes and starts to tremble.

"But... Dad! I thought... I thought you were here to pick me up!", he whines. "I miss Daddy so much, I want to see him again!"

With a heavy sigh, Sosuke hugs him closer against his chest and nuzzles his soft, bubblegum pink hair that reminds him so much of Kisumi.

"I know, kitten. But... Daddy's going to have to stay in the hospital for at least two more days", he explains as calm as possible.

Teddy's teal eyes are glistening with tears and suddenly, he sobs, jumps from Sosuke's lap and rushes out of the living room, crying.

"Teddy!", the shepherd dog calls out worriedly and wants to follow him, but Rin keeps him down.

"If you don't leave him alone now, he's going to throw another tantrum", he warns and Sosuke slumps back into the cushioning with a groan.

"I know, I know, but I just want to make sure he's okay. I don't want him to feel bad too, it's enough if Kisumi and I are miserable."

Suddenly, Haru chimes in from the other side of the couch.

"We're going to take care of him, don't worry", he assures quietly. "If you want to, you can go back to the hospital. I'm sure, Kisumi would be glad if you returned."

Sosuke bites his lips and nods before grabbing his keys from the pocket of his hoodie. He stands up and to Rin's surprise, the bushy, dark brown tail wags shortly in a grateful gesture.

"Thanks, Nanase. And you too, Rin. I'm so glad you're helping out, I couldn't deal with Teddy right now, even if I wanted to. I'll call if there's anything new by tomorrow", he promises and turns to leave, but not without an appreciating smile.

The front door shuts behind him, then they're alone in the living room again. Rin sighs and stares after his best friend for a moment, then he turns back to Haru.

"Since when are you on such good terms with Sosuke, anyway?"

The panther's gaze flickers to the ground momentarily, but it's enough to make Rin slide closer suspiciously.

"Haru...?"

His eyes narrow down as he examines his friend from top to bottom, searching for any kind of hint that he is indeed hiding something. But then, Haru just sighs, reaches into his pocket and hands his phone over to Rin.

"See for yourself", he mutters. "It would be too much trouble to explain everything."

Rin looks at his face, back at the offered phone, then he takes it hesitantly and glances down. Only the messenger app is active and he opens it. The first few chats are just what he expects - Makoto, his coaches and team mates, Nagisa, and then, to his utter surprise, Sosuke. He clicks on the small icon and gets transferred to the last texts they've shared.

_15:23 → Really? Today? Worst timing, Haru. He's probably coming straight over to my place after work since he promised to babysit Teddy while Kisumi and I go out._

_15:27 ← Doesn't matter. I'll be up to wait for him, no matter how long he takes._

_20:56 → Please tell me he's home and hasn't done anything stupid, I didn't mean to yell at him like this. He's home, right?_

_20:57 → Haru answer me for God's sake! Is Rin home? Is he alright?_

_20:59 ← He's here, but I don't know about the 'alright'-part. I'll text you tomorrow._

This has been on the day Haru came to visit. Rin swallows dry and begins to scroll through the earlier texts until he hits the first one ever sent from Sosuke.

_13:43 → Hey Nanase, I don't know if you have my phone number safed or not, but just in case - this is Yamazaki. We haven't been on best terms with eachother during high school and I just wanted to apologize for my shitty behaviour back then. I should've known better than to assume you'd somehow hurt or slow Rin down. And if you appreciate me swallowing my pride to apologize to you just a little bit, I'd like to ask you for something in return._

_16:11 ← We were ignorant teenagers back then. But apology accepted, I'll hear you out._

_16:13 → Yeah I guess, huh? But anyway, have you gotten any calls or texts from Rin lately? Look, it's not like I'm trying to worry you on purpose, but he's been acting... different. Distant. He doesn't talk to anyone, only me when we're on duty together or Kisumi when we stop by at his apartment. And he's gotten a lot quieter. I just want to know if he said anything to you about it. Nobody else can reach him and when I checked his phone for your number, I saw that he's called you the most over the last few weeks._

_16:15 ← He didn't say anything, but I know he's not okay. I can hear it everytime we talk._

_16:18 → So you noticed too. Listen, I'm worried. Since Amanda left him, it's like he's been slowly slipping away from all of us and I'm afraid he might be seriously depressed at this rate._

_16:19 ← I'm coming back to Japan. Sometimes next week, I'm not sure when exactly. I'll visit him._

_16:23 → That might actually help a lot, you know? You have always been his inspirational spark anyway, ever since we were kids. He called you 'his shining' when he talked about you in class or at home. Thank you so much for helping out, Haru._

_16:24 ← It's nothing. Thank you for telling me, Sosuke._

Rin looks up and over at Haru, who's watching him relentlessly with flicking tail and fluffed-out fur and a wave of pure despair starts to well up inside of him. And he's really been stupid enough to believe that Haru is here because he wants to, because he has missed him.

"So you only came because Sosuke asked you to, right?", he mutters and places the phone down. "And I thought..."

His voice cracks, he doesn't finish. Even Haru has to be forced to visit him. Honestly, it would be good if he'd just not be around anymore, then nobody would need to feel obliged to spend time with him. Then Sosuke would be able to stay with Kisumi and his kids every day after work and Haru could just return to training straight away and eventually they'd sit together and laugh at all the time they have wasted on him.

"Nevermind", Rin mutters, gets up and starts walking towards the hallway. "You can leave whenever, don't feel forced to stay. I know I'm a hopeless case and you don't have to pretend like you care about me either, I know you don't."

"Rin."

The jaguar stops dead in his tracks but doesn't turn around - until he feels a hand grabbing his wrist. He growls and tries to get away from Haru, but the raven pushes him back onto the couch with a swift motion before he can utter a single word. And then, Haru is above him in less than a second while a frustrated hiss escapes his throat.

"Do you really think I'd let Sosuke tell me what to do? Why do you keep hating yourself to the point where you feel like nobody could be able to care for you or love you? Do you do this on purpose?", he asks and his voice sounds strained, like he can barely keep himself from yelling. "Do you think this is fun for me? Seeing you like this, hearing you say things like this? Rin, I'm here because I want to be, because I'm worried and because I love you so much it hurts!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am in love with the headcanon that Sosuke and Haru become friends as adults because they're not edgy, bitter teenagers anymore but instead successful young men who have more in common than caring about Rin and they really like eachother 'cause Haru isn't talkative and Sosuke isn't either and there's just a nice, comfortable silence sometimes where they just relax and daydream and nobody bothers them oh my God I'm trash someone slap me
> 
> xoxo
> 
> (◕‿◕✿)


	6. Chapter 5: Visitors

Rin is paralyzed.

The only sound in the whole room is the light batting of rain against the windows and his own heartbeat that's thundering in his ears.

_What...?_

"Haru, I never-"

Suddenly, the raven pulls back and exhales shakily, like he's just woken up from a nightmare.

"Sorry. Sorry, I didn't mean to get angry. I just kind of... lost control for a moment."

He runs one hand through his hair, closes his eyes and sits back on the couch. Rin watches him cautiously for a good moment, his heart his pounding.

_If you really think like that, why did you never say anything to me?_

The silence becomes suffocating and it feels like he's going to burst if neither of them speaks up right this instant. His hands itch, his tail is lashing left and right and a wave of nausea washes over him, his stomach feels empty and hollow.

"Haru", he mutters nervously and turns to face the black panther who's still staring at the opposite wall, completely frozen. "Haru, look at me, _goddamnit!"_

He doesn't get an answer, not even Haru's ears turn towards him like they usually do when he's talking. Rin grits his teeth and gets up, his hands are trembling slightly as he grabs the raven's wrist and moves to lean over him. 

"I told you to look at me!", he barks. "Since when... since when the hell do you think like this?"

Haru slowly lifts his head. Their eyes clash, dark blue mingles with crimson red and before Rin can ask again, he feels a hand on his shoulder, pulling him closer with a violent jerk.

"Since forever", the raven breathes against his lips and then they're kissing.

It's not perfect, it's not amazing or great, it's short and too forceful but it's the best kiss Rin has ever gotten in his entire life. Haru grips his hair and pulls him even closer after they part to catch their breath and within seconds, they're all over eachother again. Rin's chest is heaving and he slowly moves to straddle the raven's hips, kneeling down right above him.

Everything just happens so natural, like it's supposed to be like this, like he's supposed to be in Haru's lap with their lips locked and their hands in the other's hair.

"Why did you never tell me?", Rin asks desperately when they stop for another short break. "I've liked you for such a long time too, why did you never-"

"Because you always had a girl around after the second year of university", Haru mutters. "And you looked so happy with them. How was I supposed to go up to you and tell you when you looked so happy with them?

The blush on Rin's cheeks becomes even more prominent and he rests his forehead against Haru's to calm down from the sudden high. For a while, they just stay like that. Then, the jaguar slowly lifts his head.

"I'm sorry. But I'm not a heavy level like you, I just kind of got pushed into that perfect middle level society where everyone has a girlfriend and kids. Then you went and became an Olympic athlete and I tried to stop fancying you after that, I tried to play you off as my childhood crush because somehow, you became untouchable from then on. I always figured you'd get a famous wife or husband on one of the parties for world stars like you and wouldn't even remember me."

Haru shakes his head in disgust and wraps one arm around the jaguar's waist to pull him even closer while he tucks his face into Rin's neck.

"Everytime I show up at a party, they drag me around and want me to meet their children and tell me all the benefits I could get from marrying into their family. They tell me about what great jobs they have, how much money they earn and how good their kids are educated. And everytime, the urge to scream in their faces that I've been in love with you since elementary school gets stronger."

He scowls disapprovingly and the redhead moves to gently run his tongue over the black fur on Haru's ears. On the inside, he is _seething_ with despair when he thinks of all the pretty people Haru could have if he just _wanted_ them. But here they are, on _his_ couch, in _his_ apartment, closer than they've ever been before while dim light seeps in through the windows and the rain grows stronger.

"Hey, Haru?", Rin suddenly mutters and looks down at the black panther while a soft purr begins to fill the air between them. "I'm really glad you came."

The grip around his waist tightens and now he's even closer to the raven, but that's fine with him - all he really wants right now is to stay like this forever.

"I missed you so much during all of Olympia", Haru responds softly and pulls Rin down for another kiss. "University without you was bad enough, but back then, we could still see eachother during important races. After that... swimming was just never the same without you."

Slowly running his fingers through the panther's jet black hair, Rin smiles and nuzzles his cheek.

"I missed you too. We've been friends for more than half of my life, letting you just go to training camps all over the world without me was the hardest thing I've ever had to do."

"I'm back now", Haru mutters and takes a deep breath. "And if you want me to, I can stay. For as long as you like."

He earns a quick chuckle for that one, then Rin cups his face and their lips meet again, shorter this time.

"Then you'll have to stay forever."

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

The rest of the day happens in one strange blur.

He knows that at some point, they're in the kitchen, chatting, and Haru's cooking lunch while he sits by the chabudai, smiles and watches. Eventually, Teddy comes shuffling in with puffy eyes and red cheeks and flops down in his lap for comfort cuddles. He talks to the pinkhaired lion cub and then Teddy finally laughs again and he just feels content and happy for the first time in too long.

They eat together and even Haru cracks a few smiles when he sees how much Teddy enjoys the meal. In the afternoon, his neighbour comes over to check in and she brings a cake with her to share with them as an apology for scaring Rin so badly yesterday and only now, after living next to her for two years, he finds out that her name is Tamiko - Tami for short, she offers. Her kids and Teddy are around the same age and start playing in the living room, chuckling and giggling while the three adults have tea in the kitchen. Tami listens intently when Rin explains that it was just Sosuke wearing his hood yesterday.

"Oh, I was so worried!", she chirps softly. "Theodore is such a sweet child and you're a great young man, I would hate to see anything bad happen to either of you."

Her hand has been resting on his arm during a large part of their conversation, but he's kept smiling at her politely and hasn't tried to pry her off. He knows that she is a sweet girl his age and that she's been lonely ever since her boyfriend and father of the two kids has left her - he has been there that day when a tall man came rushing out of the apartment next door, bag in hand and face hidden by strands of blond hair, crying as he tried to shake her off and whispered that it just wasn't going to work out. They chat until late in the evening and Rin notices that Tami scoots closer inch by inch. It's slowly turning dark outside and now, she's unmistakeably sitting almost right next to him. Haru, who's been awfully quiet during the last minutes, folds his ears back in frustration and gets up to put their cups away. The porcelain clinks slightly as he places it down in the sink and from the living room echo the voices of the three playing toddlers.

"Maybe we could take the kids to the playground sometimes?", Tami suddenly suggests, smiling shyly. "They seem to get along quite well."

Her face is dusted over with a light pink hue, she bats her eyelashes and glances up at Rin. Just as he wants to smile uncomfortably and agree, he feels soft lips against his cheek and freezes, his tail bristles in slow motion and his ruby red eyes widen.

"I think Teddy would love that", Haru mutters and gently runs his tongue over the jaguar's golden, dotted ears. "It'll be good for him to have someone to play with while he's staying here."

Rin can hear the dark undertone in his voice, something like a threat, a hidden _Hands off_ and when he finally snaps out of it, he sees that Tami is staring at them, looking just as shocked as he feels.

"Oh... a-are you...? Are y-you two...?", she stutters awkwardly and Rin feels himself starting to blush now while Haru's hands gently squeeze his shoulders.

"No, we're not mated", the black panther responds in a light tone, but there's still a dark shadow looming over his face. "Yet. Right?"

He leans down and kisses Rin's cheek again while a few loose strands of his jet black hair tickle the jaguar's neck, making him choke back a laugh.

"H-Haru, stop that!", he giggles and tries to nudge his friend away, but the raven just pushes up closer to him and wraps both arms around his middle from behind while he rests his head against Rin's shoulder.

Tami's smile grows nervous and the jaguar notices that she has backed away slightly.

"I... I see... ", she mutters with lowered gaze and runs one hand through her light brown hair. "I've just... I've never seen you around before and I didn't think Rin-chan... had a boyfriend."

Humming quietly, the black panther nods and presses his face into the redhaired man's neck with closed eyes, content and possessive at the same time.

"I wasn't around a lot for the past year, but now I'm on break."

Rin feels him talking against the sensitive skin of his nape and shudders violently - his fur is standing on end and goosebumps cover his arms. Every single nerve in his body is tingling with the sensation of Haru's warm breath and gentle embrace. Tami clears her throat, slightly embarrassed, and climbs to her feet, then she bows deeply.

"Thank you so much for having me and I'm very sorry about yesterday. I hope you're not too angry at me for making you worry. Goodnight."

With those hastily stuttered words, she calls her kids over and tells them to say Thank you and Goodbye to Rin, Haru and Teddy. The lion cub hangs his tail in disappointment about having to let his new friends go already, but he waves at them and promises to come over soon so they can play some more. Rin watches, chuckling, as the pinkhaired boy pads over to the couch and sits down with a yawn.

"Did you have fun, kitten?", he asks softly while he arranges some pillows and a blanket for Teddy to lay down and nap.

If he's lucky, the toddler will fall asleep now and not wake up until tomorrow morning - he's completely exhausted and happy, the jaguar can tell from his sleepy smile.

"Yes, we played circus", the boy mutters and curls up tightly in the small nest Rin has formed on the couch. "I was the lion and they had to tame me and teach me tricks and then I had to jump when they told me to."

Rin sits down on the floor next to his godson and rests his head on the edge of the sofa, content just to listen to the funny stories Teddy tells him while he runs one hand over the lion cub's golden ears. Sometimes, he can't believe it. That Sosuke and Kisumi have chosen him as Teddy's godfather. Sure, he's their friend and all that, but they could've easily picked someone more responsible. Yet here he is and this tiny, sweet boy with bubblegum pink hair is right next to him and he loves him so much it feels like his heart is going to burst. He couldn't take it if anything ever happened to Teddy.

"I'll always watch over you and if someone _ever_ dares to hurt you, I will make sure they regret it", he whispers and leans forward to kiss the small boy on the cheek. "I love you so much, kitty."

Teddy yawns again and looks up at him with half-lidded eyes and a happy, tired purr.

"I love you too, Rin-chan", he whispers back and curves his ears forward. "Can you sing me the lion song?"

_Oh._

Rin looks down at him in surprise. This is the first time in ages that Teddy asks him to sing. Even though he doesn't like it and Sosuke teases him about it, he has to admit that he's got a pretty voice and ever since he can remember, Teddy has loved his singing. Sometimes, when the toddler would cry for hours in the afternoon and Kisumi and Sosuke have been too sleep-deprived and tired to do anything but take the lion cub over to Rin and pass out cold on his couch, the redhead has cradled the baby boy in his arms and has calmly hummed the easy melody to him until the sobs and hiccups have died down and he's fallen asleep with his tiny hand wrapped around Rin's finger.

"Alright", he mutters and continues to gently stroke Teddy's hair. "But then you have to go to sleep, okay?"

Nodding, the toddler gets comfortable and looks at him expectantly. Rin swallows, closes his eyes and begins to hum softly before his voice gets louder and he actually starts singing. He's not even halfway through the song when Teddy sighs happily and is asleep before he knows it.

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

Haru listens to Rin's singing from the kitchen while he cleans the last dishes and his chest aches. This has always been just what he wanted - a home somewhere, warm and cozy, a beautiful evening in autumn, the knowledge that the man he loves and adores so much is just across the apartment, singing to their child.

 _Their_ child.

He looks out of the window above the sink, watches as raindrops slowly trickle down the glass. What would it be like to have a child with Rin? Would they be good parents? What would the kid look like? Would it have Rin's crimson hair and his bright, ruby red eyes? His laugh, his grin, his sharp teeth? Or would it have black hair and ocean blue eyes, just like him? Would it be as lively and bouncy as Rin or calm and quiet? Haru sighs, turns the faucet off and folds the towel neatly before he leaves the kitchen and switches the light off.

Rin is still sitting by the couch, watching Teddy sleep with the softest smile tugging at his lips.

When he sees Haru approach, he lifts one hand and signs him to be very quiet - not hard for a nekomata. So the black panther slowly sneaks over and kneels down next to Rin, just to press a small kiss to his cheek.

"Your singing is very nice", he mutters and the redhead looks like he's about to protest in embarrassment, but then he remembers the sleeping lion cub on the couch next to him and shuts his mouth.

"It's nothing."

He whispers those two words as if he's ashamed of himself and Haru can't help but marvel at the beautiful pink blush that adorns Rin's cheeks from one moment to the other.

"You have work tomorrow, right?", he asks quietly and rests his head on the jaguar's shoulder. "You should go to bed then."

Rin gasps and jolts, only now remembering that, of course, he needs to go to work tomorrow and Teddy is supposed to be in preschool at nine.

"Oh damn!", he groans and gets up, nervously flicking his tail. "How am I going to take Teddy to preschool? I have to be at work at eight sharp or my boss is going to kill me!"

Haru looks up at him with furrowed brows.

"I'm here too, you know. Just give me the adress and I'll drive him over", he suggests.

Pondering the offer, Rin is torn between feeling grateful and feeling bad for having to bother Haru with yet another chore.

"I mean... If you really don't mind...", he stutters awkwardly and can't hide the apologetic tone in his voice until the black panther rolls his eyes and glances down at the sleeping lion cub with a loving expression.

"I don't. Just leave it to me."

Rin exhales in relief and leans against the raven's shoulder.

"Thanks, Haru."

A rough tongue starts grooming his ears and again, he feels his body growing hot with the purr that starts to vibrate in his throat. He's never been with another cat before - it's like they're made to match. Their slender bodies curl into the other so perfectly, they complete eachother like pieces of a puzzle and with the way Haru's arms fit around his waist, they're closer than they probably should be.

"Come on, let's go to sleep too", the raven suddenly whispers and this time, neither of them is staying in the guest room.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhhh I love this story so much~ Enjoy! (๑★ .̫ ★๑)


	7. Chapter 6: Perfect family

When Rin gets up at seven, he can already hear two voices from the kitchen and for the first time in ages, he leaves his room with a smile.

Haru and Teddy are sitting by the chabudai and the toddler is happily licking some strawberry jam from his hands while Haru just sighs and shakes his head.

"How do your parents get you to eat without making a complete mess of yourself?", he asks, but his voice is gentle and in no way scolding or anything as he grabs a napkin and hands it to the little boy so he can clean up.

"Daddy always says he loves having to change me after every meal", Teddy sings and Rin can't help but to grin too.

He sure as hell isn't going to explain sarcasm to a four year old kid.

"Morning."

Quickly running one hand through Teddy's pink hair and then sitting down as well, he notices that Haru has already made breakfast and coffee for him.

"Mm, I think I won't have a choice but to marry Haru-chan", he sighs and tries to look thoughtful for the toddler's amusement. "What do you think, Teddy? Isn't he just perfect?"

What he absolutely _doesn't_ expect when he looks down at his godson is the sight of Teddy curving one eyebrow questioningly.

"Because he can cook? Rin-chan, you're bribed too easily."

He speaks so calmly and blunt that he sounds much older than he really is and the jaguar stares at him in astonishment, then he laughs and lightly tugs at the boy's ear.

"Brat."

"And nobody is going to ask if I'd consent to that marriage?", Haru suddenly scoffs.

Rin chuckles.

"You wouldn't?"

For a brief moment, the black panther just stares back at him and his pupils narrow until they're slitted - predatory instincts.

"I'd have you fill out the marriage papers right here and now if you really wanted to", he responds quietly and Rin feels his heart skip a beat.

Teddy looks from one to the other, obviously not understanding why they're being silent and so serious all of a sudden.

"Rin-chan?", he asks unsurely.

The jaguar blinks, shakes his head slightly and looks down at his godson before he gets up and escapes from the kitchen faster than Haru can stop him. He leans over, strokes Teddy's hair and tells him to wait for them, then he jumps to his feet and follows Rin outside. The redhaired man is leaning against the wall nearby, he's shaking. Haru steps over, cups his face and stares right at him, worriedly.

"Rin? Rin, what's wrong?"

"Why did you say that?", Rin blurts out through gritted teeth. "How can you say something like that when we're not even-"

He breaks off abruptly and turns his head to the side, partly because he's biting his lips and doesn't want Haru to see and partly because he has no idea how to finish his sentence.

Lovers?

Boyfriends?

What _are_ they?

Sure, Haru has told him that he's loved him for a long time now and they've kissed and slept in one bed and Haru has been acting all possessive in front of Tami, but is that enough to call themselves anything more than friends? Even though every little touch makes his heartbeat speed up and sends his head spinning with a delirious feeling? Even though he's never slept better than last night, with his arms wrapped around Haru from behind and his spotted tail curled around the other in a silent attempt to keep him from leaving? Even though the shortest touch of their lips can make him blush harder than a highschool girl being greeted by her crush in the hallway?

"Because I _mean_ it, Rin!", Haru growls with barely contained fury. "I've been going over the past twelve years of my life, acting like all you are to me is a good friend, a team mate, a rival I can compete against. If you give me the chance now, I'll make you mine forever. You're the one I always wanted and I will want you to for the rest of my life. Even if you don't feel the same."

He releases a soft sigh and turns to look away for a brief moment, then his gaze travels back to Rin's face. The jaguar is staring at him with wide eyes, his tail quivers violently.

"Haru", he whimpers and feels like he's going to burst into tears right on the spot. "What the hell are you doing to me? You're being ridiculous! Why would I... why the hell would I kiss you and sleep in one bed with you if I didn't feel the same?!"

Dry sobs shake his shoulders while the raven slowly moves closer and one of the most beautiful smiles Rin has ever seen on him lights up Haru's stoic face.

"Don't cry, silly, don't cry..."

Rin takes a shuddering breath, his lids sink when Haru gently presses up against him and their lips collide. It's the first time they're kissing so intentionally and Rin can't help but push one hand against Haru's shoulder to switch their positions and now he's hovering over the black panther, fingers curling into his hair to tilt his head back slightly. And for the first time, he dares to go one step further and slowly parts his lips to slide his tongue into Haru's mouth, earning a short flinch and a gasp from the raven. It's been a long time since he's kissed someone like this but he doesn't remember feeling his pulse sky-rocket so fast ever before.

"So you _do_ love Haru-chan!", a bright voice suddenly chirps triumphantly. "I knew it!"

Their eyes fly open and they bolt apart faster than lightning, but Teddy just sticks his tongue out and marches past them, mouth still smeared with jam.

"You can keep kissing, Dad and Daddy do it all the time too when they think I'm in my room."

With that nonchalant remark, he climbs onto the couch and looks over at Rin with a smile.

"Can I watch cartoons today too, Rin-chan?"

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

It's almost half past eight and Haru has never been so out of breath. Rin has left an hour ago to get to work on time, with a last, longing kiss and a muttered _"I'll be home in the evening"_ and now he's alone in the apartment with Teddy, but nothing is going as planned.

"Come on, you need to be at school by nine!", he gasps and chases after the little boy with bristled tail, but Teddy is fast and slips from his grip everytime he thinks he's finally caught him.

"I don't want to go to school today!", the toddler squeals and laughs, obviously enjoying the game of tag. "I want to stay home and play with Haru-chan some more!"

Groaning, the black panther stops in the middle of the hallway and watches as Teddy spins around and looks at him with a wide grin, his golden tail sways playfully. For a moment, they stare at eachother, the predator and its prey, then Haru lunges forward to catch him, but the kitten avoids his hands gracefully and squeezes past him again to escape once more. But Haru doesn't yell, doesn't get angry. He just calmly straightens up and speaks in the most quiet, warning tone:

"Theodore."

It's like he's casted a spell. The lion cub freezes on the spot and looks up at him with wide eyes. Nobody ever calls him Theodore and _when_ someone does, he knows that he's in _real_ deep shit.

"Are you mad now, Haru-chan?", he asks timidly and shuffles over to grab the hem of Haru's shirt with both hands. "I didn't mean to be naughty but playing tag is so much fun and I promise I won't run anymore but please, don't be mad!"

His teal eyes are brimming with tears as he looks up at the black panther and Haru sighs. He should've been expecting such a reaction. Kisumi is an angel, he would never yell at his son and Sosuke is just as patient when it comes to Teddy, so on the rare occasions they get angry, even when it's just a short scolding, the little boy must feel terrible.

"I'm not mad", he assures and kneels down to gently hug Teddy against his chest. "But next time, just stop playing sooner, okay?"

The lion cub nods, sniffs and curls up against him.

"O-Okay", he responds with shaky voice. "I won't do it again."

Haru gets up with the toddler on his arm and walks over to the door where Teddy's small backpack is sitting. The boy insists to carry it himself and so they leave the house. Haru's dark blue Chevrolet is parked near the sidewalk and when Teddy notices which car they're going to take, his eyes light up in awe.

"Is that your car, Haru-chan?", he asks excitedly and begins to fidget on the panther's arm. "It's so cool! Can it drive really fast?"

Haru chuckles quietly and unlocks the doors per remote, then he helps Teddy to get into the backseat and makes sure he's well buckled up before he rounds his car and gets into the driver's seat.

"Yes, it can", he answers and looks down at his phone for a second to check on the adress again. "When does class end for you today?"

Teddy is bouncing up and down happily, lets his hands slide over the dark, smooth interior and gazes around with open mouth.

"At four in the afternoon. Are you going to pick me up again, Haru-chan?"

The black panther throws a last glance into the rearview mirror, then he turns the key and starts the engine.

"Of course, I'll be there", he agrees with a tiny smile. "Do you like going to school?"

The pinkhaired boy nods and begins to tug at his backpack's zipper to open it. When he sees that Haru has also put a bento box inside, he squeals in joy.

"You even made me lunch, Haru-chan! You're the best!"

Oh my, this kid is a bundle of sunshine. During the short ride, he babbles on about his classmates, his teacher, his best friend, and when they finally pull into the parking lot in front of the preschool, Haru feels like he knows the people from Teddy's class better than they know themselves - the toddler is worse than Nagisa when it comes to gossip! He unbuckles his seatbelt and gets out to help Teddy from his seat, then he walks him up the stairs. The lion cub is happily clinging to his hand, skipping and humming an easy melody. The glass doors are decorated with paintings of animals and once they're inside, Teddy drags him over to a long bench with lots of small coathangers and lockers.

"Come on, Haru-chan, I want to show you mine!", the boy sings happily and leads the black panther over to one of them.

A picture is taped to the locker door - it shows Kisumi and Sosuke, both of them holding one of Teddy's hands and beneath it, there's a sticker of a cute, golden lion.

"See, it's Dad and Daddy! They took pictures of us on my first day so every teacher knows what they look like", Teddy explains proudly while taking off his jacket and shoes. "Can you stay and play with me, Haru-chan? Daddy always stays for a bit!"

He beams up at the raven, but Haru sighs and gently ruffles his hair.

"I'm sorry, Teddy, but I've got an important appointment today. Do you want me to say Hi to Dad and Daddy for you?"

For a moment, the lion cub looks at him with a puzzled expression, then he frowns worriedly and takes Haru's hand.

"Are you going to the hospital? Why? Are you sick? And if you're going, why can't I come too and see Daddy?"

Haru crouches down and smiles affectionately.

"Don't look so sad, I'm not sick. Adults like me just need to go to the doctor sometimes to pick something up. I'll try and visit your parents too, but only if they let me. You know, Daddy is probably very tired and needs to rest a lot, so nobody can go in to him because it could wake him up. I'm not sure if I can see him either."

Still glancing down gloomily, the pinkhaired boy nods and sighs. Then he forces a small smile too and wraps his arms around Haru's neck.

"Okay. Tell them both that I love them and miss them very much. See you later, Haru-chan!"

Very hesitantly, he finally lets go and turns to pad down the hallway to his classroom with his backpack while the black panther watches him go. In his mind, there's not Teddy, but a boy with beautiful, crimson hair and deep blue eyes waving him goodbye before slipping into the room.

_See you later, Daddy!_

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

Haru doesn't like hospitals.

He doesn't like their smell and the colors that are supposed to be calming do nothing but make him nauseous when he stares at them for too long. But now, as he's swiftly wandering the hallways, it's endurable. He's on his way over to the left wing - the wing reserved for Madararui and immediately, the disgusting scent turns into something much more pleasant - it smells like other animals. The young man behind the front desk looks up when Haru passes through the sliding glass door and smiles, his round, dark brown ears twitch softly.

"Welcome. Can I help you, Sir?"

Haru steps closer and rests one hand on the counter, pushing his medical card across the desk. The man takes it and studies it for a moment, then he smiles even wider and nods.

"Alright, Nanase-san, what can I do for you? Are you here for the regular athlete's checkup or do you need anything specific?"

"I've got to talk to the pharmacist", Haru responds calmly.

Nodding, the young man turns around and presses a few buttons on a phone nearby, then he looks at the raven again and hands him the card back.

"Fourth floor, the hallway to the left. Someone will be awaiting you. Have a good day."

Haru nods in return, strolls over to the elevators, presses the button to the fourth floor and tucks his tail between his legs. He doesn't like elevators that much and his stomach twists uncomfortably when the floor beneath his feet jolts slightly as the lift stops.

"Haruka Nanase, Japan's most successful Olympic athlete. 177 cm, 69 kg at most. Insignificant lack of iron, no other health issues, terrible sense of humor. Am I remembering things correctly?"

The voice that greets him the second he sets foot outside the elevator is familiar and makes him roll his eyes immediately.

"Always being correct doesn't make you less annoying. Hello Riku."

A man is leaning against a wall nearby and now leisurely stalks over, eyeing Haru up and down. His dark hair is short and neatly styled, the white lab coat sways around his slender legs.

"It's been quite a while. What brings you here, darling?"

Riku throws his hands up dramatically and begins to urge Haru down the hallway and into his office. The room is a complete mess like always, but nothing can stop Riku's mastermind from flourishing and Haru just sighs. If someone would force him to work in such a horrible chaos, he'd go nuts within seconds.

"You should really clean up from time to time."

He grabs a few folders and loose documents and stacks them neatly on the edge of the flooded desk, but Riku just clicks his tounge disapprovingly and spreads everything out atop of the already consisting mess again.

"Tidiness is for people who are too lazy to look for things and besides, the genius, _moi,_ reigns over the chaos. Let me wreak havoc in my office as long as I want to. And now, tell me why you're here, sweetheart."

He slumps down in his swivel chair, makes it spin around once and then leans over the desk to stare at Haru with his green, slitted eyes.

"I need stronger heat suppressants", the black panther answers, flicking his tail back and forth.

Riku furrows his brows and swirls his chair in the opposite direction, going through a stack of files until he finds Haru's and tugs it out, which sends the remaining files to the floor where they scatter all over. Humming in delight at the newly created mess, Riku gracefully slams Haru's file onto the loaded desk and runs his index finger down the first page.

"Mhm, let me see... ah, yes, here it is."

He flips to another page inside the file and begins to read it over before looking up at the black panther with a frown.

"Darling, why do you even ask for stronger ones? I don't recall hearing you complain about your regulars ever before. Any trouble with them during the last heat?", he asks worriedly.

Haru shakes his head.

"No, they worked fine, but I might need them for my next one. I'm... in a relationship now and I don't want my first heat together with them to end in a disaster."

Riku stares at him for a moment with slack jaw - then he cries out in joy so loudly that Haru jolts and hisses out of instinct.

"Oh my God I was _so_ sure you'd die a virgin! Have you finally given up your hydrosexuality? Sugar, you make me the happiest man on earth!", he squeals and jumps over his desk to hug the black panther tightly. "Congrats, I'm so happy for you!"

"Riku!", Haru snarls in annoyance and embarrassment, making the jyanome chuckle.

"Sorry, sorry. But geez, I'm so giddy now! You've got to tell me all about them! Guy or woman? Who are they? What do they look like? How fast are you guys moving? How did you get together?"

He looks so expectant and excited that the black panther can't help but close his eyes in amusement.

"That's none of your business, all you need to know is that they're a cat too. Now, can you prescribe me stronger suppressants or not?", he demands again.

Riku pouts for a moment, then he turns to look back at Haru's file.

"Well, actually, I need to know much more. I need information about what kind of cat, their gender, age, height, weight, physical condition and of course, their level", he responds concentratedly while pulling out an empty form. "Otherwise, I can't tell how much of an effect they're going to have on you."

Huffing, the raven runs one hand through his hair. He's not really sure if Rin would agree with him handing out personal information like that, but on the other hand, he doesn't want to wake up in heat one day and possibly force his boyfriend into something he doesn't even want.

"He's... he's a middle level", Haru starts hesitantly and with that, Riku expression turns from curious to worried.

"Darling, you do know that it's quite a risk for the both of you?", he asks in a cautious tone. "A male middle level mated to a male heavy level isn't going to be all fine and dandy. And not because of _your_ heats."

Haru scowls and folds his ears back questioningly.

"Why?"

With a quiet mutter, Riku goes through a stack of papers again, throws them over his shoulder with an exasperated sigh and opens a drawer on his desk.

"You may not know this, but heavy levels have a stronger urge to mate when they feel that their partner is receptive too. Since heavy levels are so rare, their primal instincts are to reproduce and if the partner doesn't comply, they're often willing to take them by force", he explains while rummaging about. "Which makes this situation quite difficult because when middle levels go into heat, they have a phase we call pre-heat. During that time, they're only in for cuddles and hugs, nothing sexual, while their bodies prepare for a possible mating and start producing pheromones. Result: your partner will be begging you to snuggle with him while all you'll be able to think about is how much you would like to fuck him over right there and then."

The black panther across the table bares his fangs and flattens his ears nervously.

"Are you trying to say that I could eventually _want_ to rape him?"

Riku finally finds what he's looking for - a black pen - and starts filling out the blank form.

"Possible. But I'll prescribe you with a medication that works just like a light sedative. If you ever happen to find yourself in his proximity while he's in pre-heat and you think you absolutely can't take it anymore, I recommend you use one of the pills. It should calm you down enough for a few hours until he's ready to mate", he sighs and folds the paper with practiced movements. "So, no stronger suppressants for you, sugar. You'll have to use your regular ones or just don't take them and enjoy your first heat with the guy you love."

He winks at Haru, stuffs the form into an envelope and signs it, then hands it over. The black panther takes it from him and stares down at it for a moment, still pondering what he's just heard.

"Right. Thanks, Riku."

He gets up and the darkhaired man rounds the desk to hug him one last time, then he opens the door for him and waves happily.

"And try to keep calm!", he calls after Haru with a laugh. "I'd rather not have to testify against you in court when you get accused of rape!"

After bristling his tail in annoyance at his friend, the black panther walks over to the elevator and stares at the different floors for a moment, then he decides on what to do and pushes the button for the first floor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoy and I want to say thank you to everyone leaving kudos and comments, it really helps with my motivation to hear which scenes and interactions have been to your liking~! (๑>ᴗ<๑)
> 
> xoxo  
> (◕‿◕✿)


	8. Chapter 7: A call at night

The labour ward is even more quiet than the rest of the hospital and Haru feels a little lost as he walks down the hallway and sees all the couples around him. They're mostly husbands gently talking to their pregnant wifes, young mothers and fathers carrying their newborns to the nursery rooms and men who pace up and down, nervously biting their fingernails, obviously waiting for someone or something.

He wonders if he'll walk down this hallway with Rin one day, if he will be the one restlessly wandering or if it'll be Rin.

When an elderly nurse passes him by, Haru gently touches her arm and she turns to give him a warm smile.

"Oh, hello, Sir", she greets. "How may I help you?"

The panther's ears curve forward at the friendly tone of her voice and he smiles back shortly.

"I'm actually here to see my friends. May I ask if you know something about Shigino Kisumi's current condition?"

The woman's happy face turns into a downcast frown and she sighs, clutching the clipboard in her hands tighter.

"Shigino-san... of course, right this way, Sir", she mutters and begins to lead him down a hallway. "I'm not sure if he will even recognize you, he's been drifting in and out of consciousness for the past day. If I had to decide, I'd say we'd get the baby now, but of course I'm no doctor and those snobby men won't listen to us nurses."

Haru follows swiftly and catches up to her with bristled tail.

"But he's alright, isn't he?"

The nurse scoffs.

"If you want to call it that, yes. You're a friend, you say? Yamazaki-san will be glad to see you. Here we are."

She stops in front of a door painted sky blue and knocks gently before pushing down the handle and peeking inside.

"Excuse me? A friend is here to see you two", she calls out and Haru hears the rustling of clothes, a soft whisper and then, slow, heavy steps approach the door.

"It's fine, they can come in", a tired voice responds.

When Haru slips inside, he's greeted with the sight of Sosuke standing in the short hallway that parts the room from the door. He looks slightly defensive, like he wants to check who's there before he lets them near Kisumi - a dog trait, probably, Haru assumes. But when Sosuke sees him, he lowers his guard and smiles in exhaustion.

"Hi Haru. It's nice to see you."

The black panther steps forward and sways his tail softly as a greeting.

"Sosuke. How are you?", he asks with a light purr. "And how's Kisumi holding up?"

The shepherd dog steps aside and Haru slowly walks past him, making sure not to get too close to the large, round bed in the middle of the room. It's covered in pillows of various sizes and fluffy blankets, all arranged to a comfortable nest. And in the middle of everything, curled up with sweaty hair and pale cheeks, is Kisumi. Haru's heart sinks when he sees how pained the young lion looks and throws a short glance over at Sosuke who's watching him cautiously, ready to protect his mate anytime if need be. Kisumi's chest is heaving and his lids flutter when he notices the foreign presence.

"S-So... Sosuke", he pants softly and tries to lift his head. "Who's... there?"

Immediately, the darkhaired man is by his side and leans over him to nuzzle his neck.

"Haru", he answers with a soothing kiss to the lion's sensitive ear. "He came to see how you're doing. I don't know if you remember, but I told you that he's back from Olympia and is crashing at Rin's place for a few weeks. Teddy is staying with them too."

Kisumi whimpers in agony and clutches the piece of fabric in his hand a little tighter, his body is shaking from what can only be horrible pain.

"Teddy", he repeats deliriously and licks his dry lips. "W-Where's Teddy, Sosuke?"

"At Rin's place", the shepherd dog tells him again while lovingly stroking his hair. "Rin and Haru are looking after him."

Haru feels miserable. Sure, he and Kisumi have never been best mates and they've drifted further apart after the thing with Makoto happened, but they're adults now and childhood jealousy isn't going to make him insensitive to the lion's obvious pain.

"Teddy said I should tell you Hi and he loves you a lot", he mutters quietly and sits down by the edge of the bed.

Kisumi smiles weakly and nods, burying his face in the pillow beneath him and taking a few deep, slow breaths. Sosuke wraps one arm around him from behind and rests his head on the lion's shoulder in a silent attempt of comforting him at least a little bit.

"I love h-him too", he whispers and sobs quietly. "Is he... being a g-good boy?"

But before the black panther can answer, Kisumi curls up even tighter and chokes out a weak stutter of Sosuke's name, causing the inugami to glare over at Haru with cold eyes.

"I think it's better if you leave now."

The raven swallows dry.

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

At four in the afternoon, Haru pulls into the parking lot of the preschool again and sees parents filing out of the building already, holding their kid's hands, smiling down at them and laughing. He slowly gets out of the car and enters through the glass door, only to see that the kids have set up a circle of chairs in the large foyer. Most seats are empty already, but the children who are still waiting for their parents are playing a game with one of the teachers, probably to pass the time. Teddy is whispering and giggling with a girl his age, a beautiful little cat with striped ears and tail, but before Haru can call out to him to get his attention, another teacher suddenly steps up and eyes him suspiciously.

"Excuse me, but you aren't a parent, are you?", she asks in cold voice. "I've never seen you around before."

The black panther shakes his head.

"I'm here to pick up Teddy. His parents are busy."

The woman furrows her brows and tilts her head to the side.

"Usually, if Kisumi-san or Sosuke-san can't make it, Rin-san comes to take him home. May I ask your name?", she questions further and Haru scowls.

"My name is Haruka Nanase. Rin is my boyfriend and he's at work today", he responds, slightly annoyed already. "Can I talk to Teddy now?"

She hesitantly looks over her shoulder to where a few children are now gathering around Teddy and his friend. The boy hasn't looked up once since Haru's arrival.

"Theo!", she calls out towards him and he turns towards her in surprise but when he sees Haru, his whole face lights up like the sun itself.

"Haru-chan!", he squeals and rushes over, throwing himself against the black panther's leg and hugging it tightly. "I had so much fun today! We played pirates and I got to wear the captain's hat and then we went to the swings and I jumped really far!"

The raven smiles and leans down to pick the toddler up, but suddenly, Teddy gets pulled back by his teacher, who still glares at Haru with a stern expression while he bares his fangs agitatedly.

"Let go of him!", he barks, all his protective instincts are jumping into action as he lifts Teddy into his arms and places one hand on his back, holding him even closer.

The lion cub purrs happily and snuggles into his shoulder with swaying tail. Just as the teacher wants to say something, a young man suddenly exits a nearby room and walks over when he notices the tensed atmosphere. He has tanned skin. short, curly black hair and is a little chubby. A foreigner, Haru realizes as he backs away, still cautious. His eyes are narrowed and his ears twitch nervously, but the man just smiles widely.

"So you must be Haru-chan, right? Theo has been talking about you all day long."

Lifting his chin, the black panther bares his fangs.

"Just Haru."

The foreigner looks surprised for a short moment, then he nods thoughtfully. He's got a heavy accent, but Haru can't place it. It's not English, that's for sure.

"Oh, are we on first name terms already? That's fine with me. I'm Maurice", he introduces himself and stuffs one hand inside his pocket. "Theo was so excited to be picked up by you that he couldn't wait for playtime to be over."

Haru's ears curve forward in genuine interest. Teddy has been talking about him? The pinkhaired boy wraps both arms around his neck and leans back slightly to look him in the eyes.

"I can't help it, Haru-chan is so nice and your food tastes sooo good!", he mewls. "Can we play tag again when we get home? I had so much fun this morning!"

Maurice laughs out loud and nods with a wide grin.

"Yeah, I heard about that. He's quite a little rascal, isn't he?", he asks lovingly and gently tousles Teddy's hair. "Why don't you go and put on your shoes and jacket while I talk to Haru for a while?"

A little bit more relaxed already, Haru sets Teddy down again and watches as the boy runs off to his coathanger to get ready to leave. Then, he turns back to the foreign man. Maurice. Is that French? He doesn't know, but the guy's accent isn't French either.

"That lunchbox Theo brought today... did you make that?", the young teacher asks curiously. "It was gorgeous. I mean, I heard about those fancy bento boxes already, but to actually see a real one... I went to gastronomy school too, back in Italy, but we never learned how to make something so beautiful."

Haru shrugs and turns to the side so he can keep an eye on the lion cub while the female caretaker slowly goes back to watching the other kids.

"I made it, that's right. Are you from Italy? Your accent is really strange."

Maurice sighs and rests his free hand on his hips.

"Yeah, I come from the northernmost autonomy. Believe me, you have a strange accent in every language you speak when you grow up trilingual", he responds with a laugh. "First you learn a German dialect at home, then regular German at school, then they add Italian and English and finally, in high school, you have to choose either French or Spanish, too. I'm glad this job here only requires Japanese and sometimes English."

"I'm ready to go, Haru-chan!", Teddy suddenly chimes in, holding the belts of his backpack tightly as he beams up at the black panther.

"Well then, I guess we'll see eachother tomorrow", Maurice laughs and leans down to bump his fist against Teddy's, who giggles in response and nods violently.

"Yeah! See you tomorrow, Maurice!"

Haru reaches out one hand for the toddler to grab and smiles.

"I thought first names without honorifics were only for best friends?", he teases and Teddy grins.

"But Maurice is my best friend!"

Oh.

Shaking his head slightly, the black panther lifts one hand as a Goodbye and Maurice waves at them while they leave through the glass doors. Teddy trots up to the car and hops into the backseat, waits for Haru to fasten the seatbelt for him, then he leans against the cushioning and yawns.

"School is so fun. I can't wait to go tomorrow too", he mutters exhaustedly and drifts off before they're even halfway home.

Haru can barely take his eyes off of the rearview mirror.

 

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Carrying the sleeping toddler up the stairs and unlocking the door, Haru steps inside the apartment and heads straight to the bedroom to put Teddy down for his nap. Then, he closes the curtains and leaves the door open just a crack so some light still pours into the room. It's quarter to five already and Rin will get off work soon, so he wants to start dinner before his boyfriend is back.

But before that...

His gaze is magically drawn by the bathroom door and with a soft sigh, he surrenders. In a matter of seconds, all of his clothes are folded, put up in a neat pile by the laundry basked and the hot water is running. Rin doesn't have a bathtub, but the shower is fine too, as long as it's wet and he can relax. The tiles are still cool and he leans against them while steam is beginning to fill the whole room, it makes him dizzy and is impossible to see through. Haru has no idea for how long he's been standing under the pouring water just to rinse the tension out of his body when suddenly, a low chuckle rings in his ears.

"So you just decided to go and take a shower without me?"

He opens one eye and sees a dark silhouette move behind the smokey glass of the shower cabin, then the door opens, another person slips inside and pushes him up against the wall. Rin's muscles are firm beneath his palms as he runs them down the jaguar's arms - obviously, he's been working out today.

"Really?", Rin suddenly whispers so close to his ear that he flinches from the intense sensation. "Do you ever take those off?"

He tugs at Haru's black jammer and traces the purple lines on the smooth fabric with one finger, down the raven's thigh, across his knee and back up again. By the third time, Haru is trembling against his body and after he's reached the swimsuit's waistband for the fifth time, the black panther is gasping for air.

"If you don't stop that now, you're going to regret it", Haru breathes against Rin's cheek, slips one arm around his waist and grabs the swaying golden tail of his boyfriend.

The redhead hisses in surprise and twists slightly, but Haru's grip is too tight. And then, fingertips press into the underside of his tail until he's seeing stars from the pleasure that rushes up his spine in hot waves.

"Haru!", he cries out and slams one hand against the wall, right next to the panther's face. "Don't... don't _do_ that!"

But the raven just increases the pressure and begins to massage the base of Rin's tail all over, drags his claws across the sensitive fur, leaves aching lines that only make the jaguar squirm even more from the overstimulation. His hips are pressed flush against Haru's and with a low groan, the black panther realizes that Rin is hard too. His free hand rests on top of the redhaired man's shoulder but now, he runs it down the toned chest before him and leans up, only to have Rin force him into a breathless kiss.

"We shouldn't do this!", the jaguar moans desperately. "Teddy is sleeping, we could wake him up, he could walk in on us-"

"Shut up", Haru whispers back with trembling voice. "You have no idea how many years I've been holding back, you have no idea how many times you tempted me to just touch you all over and now I can. If you really don't want this, fight me. And if you don't fight for real, I won't stop."

Rin growls but it turns into a deep purr halfway through when the darkhaired man cups his crotch and squeezes gently before he starts to stroke him with slow, teasing movements. A soft, choked cry escapes from the jaguar's throat and Haru leans forward to stifle the sound with another kiss. His tongue parts Rin's lips easily enough, there's not the slighest hint of resistance. Instead, the redhaired man grinds against his hand and his eyes slide shut for an agonizing long second, then he looks back down at Haru and breaks the kiss slightly, just enough so they can breathe.

"You too", Rin mutters between two gasps. "Let me touch you too."

His fingertips draw patterns down the black panther's chest, hips, thighs, play with the waistband of Haru's swimsuit and finally, he tugs it down far enough to wrap one hand around his dick. Their palms are slick with water and pre-cum and while Haru shudders and knocks his head back against the wet tiles behind him, Rin pushes up even closer to bury his face in the raven's neck and trail kisses and love bites down the flawless, pale skin.

"You're perfect", he whispers, his voice echoes from the glass walls of the shower cabin. "You're perfect, so fucking perfect..."

The purr that's starting to vibrate in his throat is low and filled with a feral desire as he watches Haru writhe underneath him and sneaks his tail around the black panther's waist. This man is _his,_ Haru belongs with him now and if someone, _anyone_ ever dares to touch him...

He doesn't want to think about what he would do.

Something absolutely horrible, that's for sure. The mere thought of having to let the raven go again makes him tense up and he wraps his free arm even tighter around Haru, then, he slowly curls his hand around both of their dicks, increases the friction and makes the shorter male whimper in delirious pleasure.

"Keep making those sounds", Rin whispers huskily before he leans down for another kiss, one that's more intense than every previous one. "I love seeing you like this, you're even prettier than when you swim."

Haru's cheeks are flushed, his hair is dripping water and the jet black fur on his tail and ears stands on end as he glowers up at Rin with eyes that are glazed over like newly cut glass.

"And y-you went and said we shouldn- ... ngh..."

He is cut off roughly by the feeling of Rin dragging his rough tongue over his ear, leaving him with a tingling sensation.

"Changed my mind. Fuck, Haru...", the jaguar moans softly and squeezes their dicks together again.

The hot steam makes them light-headed and tired, but they're in no rush. Slow, deep kisses are shared under the pouring water, hands and tongues explore parts of the other they haven't even dreamt of touching before while Rin still lazily strokes them both, keeping the desire pulsing just beneath their skin.

"Mm... feels good?", the black panther mutters against Rin's neck while he licks a hot trail up the sensitive skin and watches as the now darkened, golden fur on his boyfriend's tail starts to bristle slightly.

"Hell yeah", the jaguar breathes and rests his forehead against Haru's. "This is better than everything I've ever felt before."

But just then, the raven pulls back and Rin blinks slowly to see what's going on. He feels soft kisses being scattered across his chest and his hipbones, Haru runs his tongue over the thin line of crimson red fur that's painted down Rin's abdomen.

"You taste delicious."

That's the last thing he hears before a hot wetness envelops his cock and he buries both hands in Haru's hair, desperately trying to hold onto something as the overwhelming pleasure makes him shake.

"H-Haru, that's..."

Rin's strained voice turns into a pleasured, animalistic cry and he pushes the back of his hand against his lips, shocked. He has _never_ heard such a sound from himself before. Ocean blue eyes glance up at him with a content purr while Haru slowly wraps his tounge around Rin's whole lenght and drags it across the sensitive skin. The young jaguar feels every single heartbeat throbbing in Haru's throat and it takes him the rest of his self-control to not just come right that second. Suddenly, the raven scowls and pulls away, but not before giving an extra intense lick.

"You're holding back", he mutters accusingly. "That's not the point."

Rin is gasping for air as he runs his hand through the black panther's hair again and again, brushing his ears in the process.

"Can't help it. When you're doing stuff like this with a woman, it's... different."

His boyfriend doesn't answer, but the black tail that has been calm and unmoving starts to sway, slightly unnerved.

"I don't care about that", Haru finally spits out and bares his fangs for a split second. "I don't want you to force yourself to hold back. You don't need to."

Rin nods with clenched jaw and then, the raven's mouth is back on his cock, sending shivers of pure pleasure up his spine and straight to his head. His whole body is trembling and aching for release when Haru suddenly reaches up and touches his tail again, much more gentle this time, but it's enough to send Rin falling. With a deep, feral hiss, he digs his claws into Haru's jet black hair and holds him in place, but the panther doesn't even try to back away. On the contrary, he moves even closer and works Rin all the way through his climax with half-lidded eyes and a soft purr, so goddamn smug and _satisfied._

His throat clenches slightly around Rin as he swallows and pulls back with an audible pop and a deep intake of breath.

"Delicious."

The jaguar blushes like there's no tomorrow and now, while afterglow starts to take him over, his knees buckle. Haru's eyes flash worriedly for a second, but then he sighs, moves forward and settles between the redhead's thighs, resting his cheek on Rin's chest. Strong arms encircle him, fingertips start to gently rub into his neck, calm and loving.

"Don't say that stuff with a straight face", Rin mutters embarrassedly, but he's still smiling.

"Nothing about me is straight", Haru responds dryly and the jaguar bursts out laughing.

 

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Rin's silhouette stands out clearly against the darkness when Haru opens his eyes, only to see that cold moonlight pouring over his boyfriend's perfect, flawless body makes it glow from within.

"Can't sleep?", he mutters, voice low and tired.

"Not really", Rin admits quietly, a sheepish smile tugs at his lips. "You're just too beautiful. I don't understand what I did to deserve this here. Having you in my bed, being able to touch you and kiss you whenever I want, y'know."

Romantic.

Hopelessly romantic.

Haru rolls his eyes, but he's not really annoyed. Amused at most. Rin can be so sweet despite all his anger issues and short temper and the raven's heartbeat speeds up until he hears it thundering in his ears.

"Go to sleep. Tomorrow will be exhausting."

He wants to roll over and try to drift off again, but a gentle touch to his waist stops him from doing so.

"I mean it, Haru", Rin whispers and runs his palm over the black panther's hips, his thigh and finally back up to his chest.

Haru's eyes close halfway; he purrs, deep and calm and the young jaguar responds with a similar noise. Then, he feels a hand on his arm and a black tail curls around his knee. It's nothing sexual. They're touching eachother like children, playful and curious. Exhaustion has taken over and they're content just to look at eachother and continue to caress the other's body in the most intimate way.

"I love you, Rin", Haru suddenly whispers and moves closer. "I promise I will never hurt you. I'll never leave. I won't ever leave you alone."

Silky soft fur makes its way up his side and wraps around his middle, the black tip of Rin's tail gently taps against his back.

"I still don't know why though", he chokes out. "Why me, Haru? You could have _anyone,_ you could go up to every single Madararui in Tokyo, in _Japan,_ and they wouldn't hesitate one second, they'd break up with their boy- or girlfriend, I bet some would even go through the troubles of getting a divorce just to be with you instead! They have money and great jobs and they're so much prettier than I am and I don't get it, I just don't get it..."

Sensing the sudden distress his boyfriend is radiating, Haru feels himself breaking into a cold sweat. His hand cups Rin's cheek and he smooths his thumb over the pale skin.

"I don't care about money and jobs and about how pretty they are", he answers honestly. "The Olympic endorsements alone are more than enough for me to consider myself rich. And I know that you love to be a police officer. What do all those fancy jobs mean to them? They work in their father's businesses as a manager or supervisor, but they don't do it because they want to. Their jobs mean nothing to them. You're doing the thing you love. You actually enjoy helping people. You only do what you really want to do. That's... that's what _I_ admire about _you."_

He stops and waits. Rin is silently listening, his ruby red eyes reflect the light that's still seeping in through the bedroom window. And so, Haru continues.

"You. You motivated me. You inspired me to work harder. You always knew when it was time to give me that kick that didn't make me fall, but pushed me forward instead. You were harsh on me but you made up for it everytime you gave me a smile. Your opinion is the only one that matters to me. Who cares what everyone else thinks when you're happy with my decision. When what I do makes you smile. Your smile... your smile is the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. Everytime I dive into the water, I know that if I work hard enough, I'll eventually see you smile again."

With a quiet sound, half purr, half sigh, Rin nestles into his shoulder and places his leg over Haru's to hold him closer.

"I love you so much. And I'll never let you go again."

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

Midnight passes and they're fast asleep when Rin's phone rings. The sound is too loud in the silent apartment and both of them jolt. Haru's ears fold back and he hisses, but Rin quickly leans over and gives his cheek a soothing lick.

"I'll be right back. Can you go check on Teddy?"

But there's no need for Haru to do that, the toddler already shuffles into their room, drowsy and still half-asleep.

"Rin-chan, what's going on?", he whines and the jaguar runs one hand through his hair.

"That's just my phone, kitten. You two wait for me, I'm sure it won't take long."

Teddy nods sleepily and climbs into the bed alongside Haru, curling into the black panther's lap. Rin slowly pads out of the room and towards the hallway drawer where he's placed his phone before joining Haru in the shower hours ago.

"Hello?", he asks sleepily.

No response. Rin furrows his brows, but his mind isn't willing to understand what's going on yet.

"Hi?"

Again: silence. He lowers the phone, glances at the screen. It's Sosuke. And his whole body freezes from the inside out.

"Sosuke?", he whispers, terrified and suddenly wide awake. "Sosuke, answer me, talk to me, will you?"

Sosuke doesn't. He just stays quiet. And then, he breaks down crying on the other end of the line.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoy and if you're interested: I made something for this story on Instagram~! https://www.instagram.com/p/BvLbdy8hDM2/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=bvgarnzpopkt
> 
> Thanks for reading~!
> 
> xoxo  
> (◕‿◕✿)


	9. Chapter 8: Lucia

Rin feels all color drain from his face and his legs give out. He sinks to the floor right on the spot, clutches the phone and presses it to his ear like it'll bring him closer to his best friend.

"Sosuke, he didn't die, tell me he didn't die, tell me he's alive, _fucking tell me he's alive!",_ he howls in agony and doesn't even feel the pain when he accidentally hits his head on the wall behind him.

And suddenly, Haru is next to him and strokes his hair and wipes the tears away that are streaming down his cheeks and he _sobs_ because Sosuke isn't answering, only his choked breaths are echoing in Rin's head. Everything goes blank and he can't help but curl up so tightly that it hurts because if Kisumi is dead, then Sosuke is gone too. Not yet, but he'll be soon.

"Rin, don't cry, don't cry, it's alright", his best friend suddenly chokes out and his voice is still shaking but firmer than before. "He's alright, Kisumi is alright, he's fine, he's sleeping, he's fine..."

The floor seems to crumble beneath Rin as he cries out in relief and the hollow feeling in his stomach turns into nausea. If he had been standing, he probably would've had thrown up by now. Everything is spinning around his head and he helplessly reaches out one hand towards Haru, who gently takes it and sits down next to him. He says something but Rin isn't listening - all he can hear is his own blood rushing through his veins until Sosuke speaks again.

"She's beautiful, Rin", he whispers. "She's the most beautiful little girl I've ever seen."

A deep shudder runs through the jaguar's body while he closes his eyes and Haru curls into his side, smelling so calming and familiar that the panic from before starts to fade.

"A girl...", Rin repeats desperately. "You had a girl, Sosuke, for real?"

He has always wanted a girl, a baby girl just like Gou when she was little. A sweet girl he can protect and fuss over and buy presents for, a girl he can carry around on his shoulders and take horse riding...

"Yes, oh _fuck,_ Rin, we have a daughter!"

And all of a sudden, Sosuke is laughing through the tears.

 

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"Where are we going, Rin-chan?"

Teddy is sitting on the edge of the bed, kicking his legs happily while Rin tries to tie his shoes for him.

"Surprise, surprise!", he answers and looks up at his godson with a wide smile. "If you don't let me get you dressed now, you'll never find out."

The lion cub giggles and tries to crawl away from him, but Rin catches him and tackles him into the blankets with a playful growl. Teddy is squealing in delight when the young man starts to tickle his ears and belly, he arches his back and laughs until he's out of breath.

"Stop it, Rin-chan, stop!"

Rin grins and leans down to nuzzle his cheek.

"Surrender!"

"Never!", Teddy screams back, still gasping for air between his hysteric chuckles.

"Hey."

Suddenly, Rin freezes on the spot and the pinkhaired toddler uses his chance to crawl across the bed and escape from the room, still giggling. Once he's safely standing in the doorway, he sticks out his tounge before running off.

"Haru-chan and Rin-chan, sitting in a tree~!"

The jaguar doesn't even try to scold him. Instead, he spins around and glares at Haru, who's standing by the wardrobe. His jaw goes slack. The sunlight filtering in through the window is golden and soft, makes the black panther's smooth fur shine and his creamy white skin glows faintly as he turns to look straight at Rin.

"Can I borrow some of your clothes? At least until I'm done doing the laundry?", he asks, swaying his tail back and forth at a lazy pace.

The redhaired man can't answer. His gaze is completely fixated on his boyfriend's bare upper body, how the firm muscles on his arms and abdomen flex with every little movement and Rin isn't able to do anything but stare and long to touch Haru again.

"Rin?"

The panther scowls and wants to step closer when Rin finally breaks out of his trance and swallows around the lump in his throat. His mouth feels as dry as sand.

"Y-Yeah, of course. I... I don't mind", he mutters embarrassedly.

Haru nods as a simple _Thank you_ and pulls a shirt from the wardrobe. It's the black one Sosuke has bought him for his birthday last year, the one with the words _Catnip_ printed on it in dripping, bright green neon letters. Upon seeing that, Rin can't fight the grin that slowly starts to tug at his lips when he moves over to where Haru is standing, drying his still slightly wet hair with his favourite towel - the grey one with the white polka dots.

"Hell yeah you are", he whispers and latches his lips onto his boyfriend's bare shoulder that smells like soap and wet fur but tastes so much like _Haru_ that his mouth waters. "Better than catnip. Much better."

The black panther cranes his neck and trills softly. The sound makes Rin chuckle and he begins to gently nip at the flawless skin while combing one hand through Haru's hair, scratching the sensitive bases of his ears.

"Just listen to you. You're like a kitten being groomed, do you realize that?"

"Rin-chan, I thought we needed to leave early?", a whiny voice suddenly rings from the doorway. "Can't you kiss later? You do it all the time, I don't get it. It can't be that much fun."

Both adults turn around and smile when they see Teddy rolling his eyes at them. His shoes are already untied again and his hair (Rin has spent twenty minutes trying to comb it, but the bubblegum pink curls always bounce back into their former position, just like Kisumi's) is a complete mess again.

"Wait until you're fourteen or fifteen, then you'll understand why adults think kissing is fun", Haru states dryly and Teddy shakes his head in disgust.

Rin winks at Haru and jumps over, grabbing the toddler and lifting him up over his head.

"Cheeky brat! Don't be so noisy or we're going to leave you here!"

His godson squeaks excitedly and kicks his legs, laughing.

"You won't, I know it!"

Chuckling, Rin sets him back down again and ties his shoes one last time, then he helps him to get into the jacket and takes his tiny hand. Teddy immediately clings to him like a small octopus.

"Are you coming, Haru?", the jaguar asks with a soft smile.

 

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

 

Sosuke's ears perk up when he hears the door open, but he doesn't want to get up yet. Kisumi is curled up against him so comfortably with a soft smile as he watches their little daughter sleep in his arms.

"Good morning, you two", the nurse greets and peeks around the corner. "There's someone who'd absolutely _love_ to see his little sister and parents."

At those words, Kisumi lifts his head too and flicks his tail excitedly.

"Theo?"

"Daddy!"

A squealing mass of pink hair and tufts of golden fur struggles free from Rin's grip and rushes towards the bed, clambers onto it and snuggles into Kisumi's free arm so violently that the lion can't help but laugh and hug his son close.

"Hi, kitten!", he whispers into Teddy's ear and starts grooming it lovingly. "I missed you so much!"

"I... I missed y-you too, Daddy!", the toddler sobs and buries his face against Kisumi's shoulder.

Sosuke reaches over and gently takes the baby from his boyfriend so they can cuddle in peace while Rin and Haru stand by the doorway along with the nurse, who now smiles and excuses herself. The jaguar shifts restlessly, his ears move back and forth at a hypnotic pace and his tail is bristled. Haru throws him a short glance and smiles - a genuinely amused smile Sosuke can't help to mirror when he sees his best friend so fidgety.

"Come over, I see that you can't wait to hold her", he chuckles and sits up slightly, but Rin still hesitates.

His gaze wanders over to Kisumi who's quietly talking to Teddy.

"He isn't going to attack you", Sosuke assures again. "You're our best friend, Rin, he's used to having you around at all times. I don't know about you though, Haru. Maybe stay a bit back at first?"

The black panther can barely nod when Rin shrieks and bolts over, lifting the tiny baby girl into his arms so carefully as if he's touching a priceless gem.

"Oh my God, she's gorgeous, Sosuke!", he coos and gently runs one finger over her chubby little cheek. "Hello there, sweetheart~"

She blinks sleepily and looks up at him with tired, blue eyes. Then, her ears flick - pointy ears, covered in unruly fur that's either the darkest shade of brown or the deepest black. Rin chirps agitatedly, his tail lashes and Sosuke starts to laugh.

"She's a dog! Holy shit, she's a dog, Sosuke! Aww, look at you! You're going to be such a cute little puppy, just like Dad!"

"Calm _down,_ Rin!", his best friend chuckles. "If you continue like this, she'll be the most spoiled girl in Tokyo."

The jaguar hesitantly looks up from the baby and sticks his tounge out.

"She's my little princess and if I want to spoil her, that's my business. Right, darling? You're just too sweet!"

Sosuke rolls his eyes and his gaze flickers over to Haru, who's leaning against the wall with crossed arms, looking a bit lost. This right here is Rin's family. He's an intruder, a stranger, he doesn't belong here. He doesn't belong with those happy people. Sighing, he moves away from the wall and turns to leave the room, when a now familiar feeling stops him from doing so. Tiny hands have grabbed his tail, squeezing it gently. And when he turns around, surprised, he's met with big, curious blue eyes.

"Bwah."

Before he can even think of moving away, Rin grins and even Kisumi giggles.

"Looks like Lucia doesn't want you to leave either. Don't just run off without saying anything."

"Lucia", Haru repeats softly and reaches out his hands to gently take the baby girl from Rin's arms. "What a beautiful name."

She is completely silent while studying his face, her hands are curled into fists and when Haru smiles cautiously, she makes a soft sound, like a young puppy.

"I haven't seen her this calm since she woke up", Sosuke muses and sits down by the bedside again to gently stroke Kisumi's arm. "She really seems to like Haru."

The pinkhaired lion nods and sits up straight in bed with Teddy still in his lap, the toddler is contently curled up.

"You're right. Hey, Haru?"

Lifting his head, the raven throws him a questioning glare before looking back down at Lucia.

"Hm?"

"Well, since Rin is Teddy's godfather already, how about you become Lucia's?", Kisumi asks softly. "I'd ask Hayato, but he already declined my offer on Teddy and Gou doesn't want to be in charge of a kid that lives on the other end of Japan."

Haru's eyes widen and he stares over at the lion, who just keeps smiling. Sosuke's ears are turned towards him too and his bushy tail beats against the bedsheets leisurely.

"Why not?", he agrees. "After all, you're going to stay in Tokyo too, right?"

The black panther swallows, once and twice, but his lips and tounge are too dry to speak.

"How would you know?", he finally spits out and his cheeks heat up.

Sosuke gives a knowing smirk.

"I can smell you two. Your scents are so mixed up that it's hard to tell who has been rubbing himself all over the other."

Now it's Rin's turn to blush and he turns his head, growling softly at his best friend. The shepherd dog tilts his head and suddenly, he looks serious. Haru frowns when he notices the change - the air starts to prickle with tension.

"I'm glad you two finally got together", Sosuke continues. "You're just meant to be. Have always been. But if you ever, _ever_ hurt Rin, be sure to know that I won't hesitate to tear you to pieces without a second thought. No matter how much he begs me to leave you alone."

His voice grows dangerously low until it's a deep, guttural sound, filled with an ancient rage that Haru knows all too well.

"I won't", he hisses back. "Never. I'd never do anything to hurt him."

Sosuke nods, threateningly. But he nods and accepts the answer and his gaze returns to Rin, who's been watching the short exchange with bristled fur and bared fangs.

"Could you please _stop_ acting like my overprotective older brother?"

The blackhaired man grins sheepishly and droops his ears to the side.

"I basically am. Just trying to look out for you, Rinrin."

Scoffing, the jaguar rests one hand on his hips and runs the other through his crimson red hair to brush it out of his face.

"I can look out for myself, _thank you very much."_

"Haru didn't answer my question though", Kisumi suddenly chimes in and curves his tail. "Do you want to be Lucia's godfather?"

His gaze bores into the black panther and Haru shifts slightly, uncomfortably. He doesn't know what to answer. This girl is the daughter of two of his friends, she's so small and sweet, he wants nothing more than to watch her grow up with Sosuke and Kisumi and Teddy and Rin, wants to see what she'll look like when she's older. He wants her to keep looking at him like this.

"But... I'm not really close to you two", Haru finally mutters, avoiding Kisumi's gaze. "And I'm going to be on tour in four years again, in between the tournaments, I have individual training sessions that can last up to a month. That's... not exactly helpful if you want a person who is going to be constantly around her."

The pinkhaired man clicks his tounge in amusement before leaning forward.

"Haru, I'm aware that you're an Olympic athlete, but if you and Rin are going to stay together, then I'd be more than happy to make you her godfather. She already loves you, everyone here can tell."

Haru folds his ears back and nods almost shyly before draping his tail over Lucia's tiny body for her to play with.

"I'd be so happy."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for neglecting the story, but I have a 20-page essay to write, a bookreport, math exam, dietary education tests, a history paper and an English presentation coming up... :')
> 
> xoxo
> 
> (◕‿◕✿)


	10. Chapter 9: Exciting Finale

"Are you sure you want to take him back already? I wouldn't mind letting him stay a little bit longer."

Rin's hand is resting on Teddy's shoulder a little hesitantly as he looks over at Sosuke, but the darkhaired shepherd dog just wags his tail.

"Kisumi feels well enough to move around the house and I think it's time Teddy can come home", he states softly. "Thanks for the offer though, I really appreciate it."

Sighing, the redhaired man watches as his godson knocks his head back to stare up at him.

"But I like staying with Rin-chan and Haru-chan", he whines. "Do I have to go home already?"

Sosuke chuckles and Haru kneels down, gently tugging at Teddy's sleeves.

"Hey", he mutters. "Do you know who called me this morning?"

Sniffling, the toddler peers up at him.

"No. Who called you?"

"Iruka-chan", Haru responds and the name immediately sparks a smile on Teddy's face. "He came home a few hours ago and was very sad that you weren't there to greet him. He even brought a surprise with him. Why don't you go and see what it is?"

Rin, Haru and Sosuke share a swift glance, all secretive and excited. Along with Teddy's beloved blue dolphin, there will be a red shark waiting for him on his bed - a gift from Haru.

"Really?"

All tears forgotten already, Teddy smiles again and bounces over to Sosuke to let himself be picked up by his father. The tall man hugs him tightly and sighs in relief.

"I'm so sorry for not being around lately, but now we can go home. Daddy is waiting too, and Lucia. Say bye bye to Rin and Haru!"

The pinkhaired boy lifts one hand and waves at the two men while his tail mirrors the action.

"Bye bye Rin-chan and Haru-chan!", he mewls happily. "Come visit us soon!"

A grin spreads across Rin's face.

"You bet! Bye, kitten! Take care, Sosuke and don't forget to call soon or I'm coming over tomorrow already."

The shepherd dog rolls his eyes, mutters something along the lines of _"And they said dogs are clingy"_ before he smiles back and leaves the apartment. Taking a deep breath, Rin turns around to look at Haru. He's not even halfway through the movement when his back hits the wall and their lips meet. A weak sound of protest escapes him, but the black panther silences it swiftly and grabs his tail, squeezing it with just the right amount of pressure.

"You have no idea how long I've been holding back", Haru mutters and moves from his lips to his jaw and neck.

Rin stands there, torn between desire, embarrassment and uneasiness as his mind and body fight over which feeling they should give in to. Haru's touch feels great, amazing even, but he knows that this time, they'll go all the way, without any doubt. He's noticed the looks Haru has given him from time to time lately, like he's about to jump him right there and then, he's noticed the way the black panther has pushed up against him during a quick kiss in the hallway when Teddy's been occupied. And even though it hurts his pride, he's unsure what to do, where to place his hands, how to touch Haru.

"H-Hey", he gasps between two kisses and his cheeks almost hurt from how hard he's blushing now. "Haru, stop, w-wait, please..."

The raven swishes his tail impatiently, his free hand slips down to rest on Rin's waist.

"What's wrong?"

Haru sounds tense, but when he sees how troubled his boyfriend looks, his whole body starts to tremble with a soft purr that emits deep from his chest. Very slowly, he moves up to nuzzle Rin's cheek and rests his head against the jaguar's shoulder.

"I'm sorry. I pushed you too hard again, didn't I?"

"N-No!", Rin splutters, beet-red and trembling. "No, that's not it, I just..."

Haru pulls back slightly, arches one eyebrow while his hand draws circles on Rin's hips.

"Just _what?"_

"Goddamn it, do you really need me to spell this out for you?", the jaguar cries out embarrassedly. "I've never done this with a guy before and I have no fucking idea what's going on!"

For a moment, Haru stares at him like he wants to laugh, but then, his lips curl into a smile and he leans forward to steal another kiss from his boyfriend.

"Don't worry, just let me take care of everything. I'm going to show you what it's like."

Whimpering softly, Rin nods and lets the black panther grasp his hands. Sharing breathless kisses, they finally make it to the bedroom and when his back hits the mattress, Rin can't help but shudder. Haru is so sure about what he's doing, so confident in his movements, his touches, as if he's following clear instructions. And every new brush of skin, every stroke of Haru's tongue across his body is a new wave of pleasured sparks that explode everywhere inside of him, only to gather in his abdomen and turn into liquid fire that burns him from within.

"Pretty. Everything about you is so pretty", Haru suddenly hums softly and spreads butterfly kisses all over Rin's neck and chest, then his hand sneaks down until it touches soft fur that fluffs out at his gentle teasing.

"Nhh... s-stop, don't... d-don't touch my tail, Haru!"

The redhead sits up slightly and tries to push his boyfriend's arm away, but Haru glowers at him from beneath long, dark lashes and his round ears fold back.

"Rin, I know what I'm doing. Believe me, you'll be feeling great once we're getting started", he mutters and leans down.

His rough tounge begins to comb the fur on Rin's golden, dotted tail until it's wet and shiny and the jaguar is whining like a kitten, mortified at his own voice. He's never heard himself sounding like this ever before. On the other hand - none of his girlfriends has ever made him feel this good either.

"H-Haru...", he mewls pathetically and tries to get ahold of his boyfriend. "Haru, please!"

An amused glance answers him, then those ocean blue eyes trail back down to his middle and suddenly, a warm hand is placed over the growing bulge in his jeans.

"Enjoying it now, I see. I wonder if you're going to scream when you come. You're the most sensitive cat I've ever come across."

Rin's cheeks heat up once more when he hears the black panther talking like that and for a moment, he wants to argue, but then Haru continues to massage his tail and rubs him through the fabric of his pants at the same time and the voice that leaves his mouth is more desperate than scolding.

"You... ahh... bastard!"

The sweet torture is too much to take, he wants to feel so much more, wants to feel Haru closer, but the raven seems to be intrigued by his incessant shifting and delirious noises. Instead of speeding the whole thing up, his movements slow down until his touch is a lazy, slow stroking of both - Rin's tail and clothed dick.

"I really like seeing you so flushed and needy. Maybe I'll tie you up someday and make you beg for it. You'd look gorgeous with some black ropes against your skin", Haru muses, he's obviously enjoying the look of panic in his boyfriend's crimson red eyes.

"Y-You're joking, right?", Rin gasps and his voice is shaking with fear. "H-Haru? Oh shit, Haru!"

He knocks his head back with a drawn-out mewl and to his absolute horror, the prospect of Haru teasing him for hours on end while being absolutely unable to do anything about it makes him even harder.

"I take this as an approval. Hmm... What other kinks do you hide from me?", the panther breathes into his left ear and it twitches when he gently nips at the edge of it.

Suddenly, both hands disappear from his body and Rin just wants to protest when he feels them on the hem of his shirt. Haru tugs it over his head, throws it onto the floor and his own shirt follows suit. Seeing his boyfriend like this - sweating, breathing heavily, half-naked with eyes that glow like the ones of a hungry predator - makes Rin lower his gaze almost shyly. Haru is so beautiful, even more toned than he's been in high school and university while he still manages to keep that aristocratic look and his smooth, fluid movements, his black hair is longer but shines like always and his equally black fur is silkier than ever before.

_What the hell did I do deserve someone like him?_

That one thought keeps spinning in Rin's head like a mantra, but no matter how hard he tries, he can't stay focussed when Haru leans down for another kiss, longer and more intensive and his tounge pushes past the jaguar's lips with ease. There's not the slightest hint of resistance, he notices contently and greedily drinks in the moans and whimpers that spill from Rin's throat while his hands work to open the jeans his boyfriend is wearing. Once the button and zipper are undone, he pulls back to suck fresh air into his lungs and watches as Rin does the same after their breathtaking kiss.

"I know that this is your first time, so I really want you to enjoy it", Haru mutters softly and starts to tug the redhead's pants down. "If you're not okay with something or if it hurts, you tell me. Immediately. Don't assume you have to do this for me or endure it if it's painful just because of me, okay? This is about us both and there's no sense in having sex if you don't feel good too."

Even though those words just add to his embarrassment, Rin feels a strange warmth enveloping his chest and squeezing it tightly.

_You really care so much about me?_

It's like Haru can read his mind sometimes because he chuckles as he gets up and looks down at Rin with a smile.

"I'll be right back."

But even after those words, he hesitates, stops, leans down again and presses another kiss onto Rin's mouth, cups his cheek and moans softly when the jaguar lifts one hand to hold onto his shoulder.

"Stop looking at me like this", he finally demands between two gasps. "Just... stop."

Rin feels a deep purr rising from his throat when his boyfriend leaves the room with swift, firm steps, only to return a few seconds later with a bottle and a handful of condoms. He drops them on the sidetable and kneels down over Rin again, kissing him hungrily like they haven't seen eachother in ages while he tosses the bottle into the sheets next to them. Breaking the kiss with a low sound, Rin pulls back and looks up at the raven with flushed cheeks and sweaty hair.

"Haru... d-do you want kids?", he asks quietly, his voice is almost choked up with insecurity.

The black panther sighs and grabs one of the condoms as well. It crinkles slightly in the stuffy air that fills the space between them.

"Of course I want kids someday, but not now, Rin. What are you thinking? Those are completely normal condoms."

He traces the outlines of Rin's swollen lips with one finger and captures him in another heated kiss until they're both struggling to breathe. Then, as if it's the most normal thing, Haru slips his hand under the jaguar's body and nudges him slightly.

"Come on, turn over. We're going to make this really good for you", he whispers into his boyfriend's twitching ear and gives the golden, spotted fur a long, arousing lick.

Rin shudders, complies and rolls onto his stomach. Haru's warm body settles above him while he buries his face in one of the pillows to hide his blush and waits. The clicking sound of a bottle being opened echoes through the silence and then, he jolts slightly because all of a sudden, the black panther's hand touches his lower back with a strange, slick sensation accompanying it.

"I know it doesn't feel that great yet, but just wait and relax. If you want to stop at some point or start to get uncomfortable, tell me", Haru purrs against his cheek from behind and leaves a line of soft kisses down his jaw.

The raven's slender fingers disappear for a second again, then they return and start stroking down his thighs, trace the sensitive inner parts of his legs until Rin's tail is quivering helplessly and jerks to the side. An undeniable invitation, a silent plea for more and Haru doesn't even think of keeping his boyfriend waiting. With a low purr, he runs his slick fingertips over Rin's entrance again and again until the jaguar relaxes visibly into the touch, then he starts applying pressure. Just for a brief moment before he pulls back again and lets Rin adjust to the unfamiliar sensation. Over the next few minutes, he coaxes the sweetest sounds from his boyfriend until the discomfort has obviously vanished and Rin is moving back against him, whining impatiently.

"Y-You're doing this on... on purpose, aren't you?", he growls under his breath and Haru smiles before leaning down and pressing a gentle kiss to Rin's shoulder.

"I told you already: I'm going to make you feel good. Do you think you can take one or two of my fingers?", he asks in return and the jaguar groans in embarrassment.

"D-Don't just ask stuff like that, Haru!"

The raven sighs and slicks his fingers up with lube once more before he carefully sinks them into Rin's body while his free hand reaches around the redhead's waist and starts stroking his dick again. Pre-cum is dripping down the whole lenght and makes the movements much easier. Even though Rin flinches and shifts a little, he doesn't seem to be in pain. Still, Haru stops for a moment and just focusses on the firm strokes of his hand to make the feeling more pleasurable for his boyfriend.

"Hurts?", he asks quietly and starts to groom Rin's fluffly ears in the meantime, but the jaguar just shakes his head and curves his body a little.

"N-No. Just... weird. It's weird."

"Do you want me to stop?"

"A-Ahh... d-don't stop, don't...", Rin whimpers and his fingers curl into the fabric of a pillow beneath him as he tenses up and his insides clench down.

Haru stares for an agonizingly long second, then he leans forward and latches his lips onto the jaguar's neck to lightly graze the sensitive flesh with his fangs and Rin freezes.

A completely new feeling seizes him along with lust and desire - submission.

Before he even knows what's going on, he arches his back up against Haru and cries out in shock and pleasure. His mind is spinning and a crimson red fog starts to sink down over his eyes - until the black panther above him sinks his teeth into his neck and the sweetest ambrosia courses through his veins like deadly venom.

"That's right, just relax for me. You're doing great. This shouldn't even hurt, okay?", the raven mutters while swiftly pulling back to put on the condom and spread some lube on it before he lines up with Rin's entrance and pushes inside of him slowly.

The young jaguar's chest is heaving at the sudden stretch, but he doesn't complain - on the contrary. He even pushes his hips back against Haru, but the raven keeps him still, lets him adjust to every few inches while his own hands are trembling with pleasure.

_I've been waiting so goddamn long for this to happen and you feel even more amazing than I could've imagined in my wildest dreams..._

"I love you, Rin", he mutters desperately, leans forward and showers the fresh, shallow wound on the jaguar's neck with kisses. "I love you so much, I love you, I love you, I'll never leave you again..."

His thrusts are gentle and slow at first, he's cautious not to hurt his boyfriend in any way possible, when Rin suddenly cries out - a feral, instinctive sound that pushes deep from his lungs and sounds in the raven's ears again and again like a fading echo.

"Haru!"

After that, everything blurs around them and Rin stares up at him with wide, dark eyes, seized by the same fever as the black panther.

"Mating frenzy", is the only thing Haru can choke out before he sinks his claws into the jaguar's sides and his thrusts grow harder.

※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※ ◎ ※

Completely out of breath and soaking wet with sweat and blood, Rin closes his eyes. His body is covered in bite marks and scratches, but every single one of them is pulsing with the sweetest pain he's ever experienced while Haru gently cleans the wounds, soothes them with long, careful licks and mutters praises and apologies.

"Sorry for handling you so rough", he finally sighs and folds his ears back, completely distraught. "I didn't think I would go into mating frenzy the first time we slept together. You had more of an effect on me than I thought you would."

Rin grins weakly and turns over. The sharp pain makes him flinch, but he doesn't mind it and just wraps one arm around Haru's waist.

"Is this what a real cat mating is like?", he mocks and gives a rough kitten kiss to Haru's cheek. "It was amazing, Haru, don't apologize."

The black panther sways his black tail slightly, like he's hesitant to believe what he's hearing.

"Hopefully."

Rin laughs huskily, his throat aches from screaming. But not even the thought of what the neighbours may have thought can embarrass him right now. Not when he's so amazingly delirious from coming four times in a row.

"In case you haven't noticed - I've been literally howling in pleasure during all of it, so it can't have been _that_ bad, right?", he teases.

Haru catches his ear between his teeth and starts to gently nibble at it.

"Stupid. I'll go take a shower. Are you coming too or should I just wash you here?"

The jaguar frowns and sits up. The ache in his stomach is deep and unfamiliar, but bearable. Haru has been cautious not to hurt him.

"We're taking a shower now and then settle in the guest room until I've cleaned the sheets here. Alright?"

Haru helps him get to his feet, then a swift smirk tugs at his lips and Rin's breath hitches when he sees it.

"Who said I'm satisfied already?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope y'all enjoyed the end of the first part~ Hope you'll also stick around for part 2~! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who read, left kudos and commented~! (๑>ᴗ<๑)
> 
> xoxo  
> (◕‿◕✿)


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